


end of me

by thatonegaycousin (mannerofbeing)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dorks in Love, I mean eventually, It Gets Better, M/M, Not for long tho, and he sees his soulmate, angst like woah, he dies, nico also has a power crucial to the story, nico being a jealous little shit, percabeth, solangelo, trust me - Freeform, which is will, will being a worry wort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 08:52:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6368146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mannerofbeing/pseuds/thatonegaycousin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Nico died, he was seven years old. He wakes up by a blonde boy with a tooth gap. </p>
<p>The third time he died, he sees the same blonde in a too big doctor's coat. They talk for a bit before he wakes up in his body again. He rules it off as coincidence, or his dad's idea of a joke. </p>
<p>It's the fourth time that Nico sees the boy that he starts to worry, because when he sees Will again, Nico is still very much alive, and very much stuck in camp with a boy with too many questions he doesn't have the answer to. </p>
<p>Soul mate AU. They're still demigods. Takes a look at Nico, age 7-15.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WW2, in the books was a fight between Poseidon and Zeus's kids and Hades' kids. So. Inspiration for the first chapter comes from that.

 

 

 

The first time that Nico di Angelo died, he was seven years old, walking to church with his mother and sister, a wooden rosary hanging from his neck.

He had argued with his mother that morning, not wanting to go. Church was always boring, and made him feel like taking a nap on the worn pews rather than praying. His mother, however, had been resilient, even when he had pulled out the Puppy Dog Eyes and the “Please’s”.

“It's in times like these,” his mother had said. “That we need to go the most.” Bianca had nodded behind her solemnly, as if she too agreed. Nico’d scowled. He knew for a fact that Bianca was only agreeing with their mom because she wanted to go out with her friends on Thursday.

So he trudged along behind them through the winding streets of Venice, mumbling under his breath about how his friends never went to church if they didn't want to. His mother did a fantastic job of pretending not to hear him.

He walked along the edge of a canal, and Bianca eyed him warily. He could feel the corners of his mouth turning down in response. He looked down into the murky water.

It really wasn't fair. Just because he wasn't old enough to stay home by himself didn't mean he should be dragged wherever his mom went. He wanted to go to his friend's, Pietro’s house. He had been bragging all week at school about how his family was getting a television.

And naturally, Nico wanted to see it. Moving photographs? At home? He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a bit jealous.

Movement in the water caught his eye. He stopped walking and stared. That… looked like a face. He stepped back a bit, bumping into something. He looked up at the man, mumbling a quick apology. A feeling of foreboding grew in his chest.

“Oh no worries,” the man smiled. “I should have looked where I was walking. Are you lost? Where's your mother?” The man moved to touch his shoulder, a pale skeletal hand reaching out towards him.

Nico jumped back before he could, his eyes widening as he realized that there was nothing to step on behind him. He felt himself fall back, a sinking feeling in his stomach, before he hit the water.

The water was cold and he coughed as he tried hard not to swallow any. He kicked his feet and tried to recall what his mother had told him about swimming. Despite being surrounded by water, his mom had always had an aversion to letting him and his sister too close to it. The only lesson he'd ever had were the few sentences his mom had instructed him with before she refused to talk about the topic again.

_“Keep your head above the water and kick your feet really fast, and move your arms in circles. Just try to get out of it as fast as you can, okay? The water isn't safe for us.”_

Nico choked on the water flowing into his mouth. He tried calling out for help, but the water was just everywhere. The man was looking down at him with a strange expression on his face. He didn't make a single move to help.

He saw his mom run up behind him and her mouth open in a perfect ‘o’. Something touched his ankle, and Nico struggled harder, his head bobbing above and below the water. Hearing his mom scream his name with such desperation did nothing but heighten his panic. 

A hand wrapped around his ankle and almost pulled his leg out of its socket. Under the water, he could barely make out the long hair and pale skin of whatever was pulling him. Its long nails dug into his numbing skin. 

His fingers inched to his neck and clutched his rosary. The creature turned to face him, and Nico screamed, accidentally opening his mouth. The thing’s face looked human, but it was all wrong. Yellow eyes looked back at him, and sharp, jagged teeth smiled menacingly.

Nico’s throat and chest burned, and while he tried hard not to breathe in anything, it was like his body wasn't his own anymore. His chest rose and fell with breaths that did nothing to soothe the fire spreading to all his nerves. His fingers fell from his necklace slowly.

He was barely aware of someone else grabbing him, of his body getting dragged out of the canal. He heard voices above him, but his eyes… they wanted to stay closed, so he let them.

 

*.*.*.*

 

Sluggishly, he blinked his eyes open, and looked around. He had awoken on a beach littered with people wearing bright orange shirts milling around. Nico’s hand went to his rosary, rolling the beads under his fingers as he looked around for his mom and sister.

Where were they? His clothes were still wet, so they couldn't have gotten far, wherever it was that they were. Nico looked around again, trying to ignore the embarrassing tremor of his bottom lip.

He shouldn't cry. Only babies cried when they didn't have their moms with them, and he wasn't a baby.

A finger tapped his shoulder, and he turned hopefully, thinking it might've been his mom. Instead, he was met with a blonde boy a bit taller than himself. The boy smiled brightly at him, proudly showing a small gap between his front teeth.

The blonde spoke first, but Nico couldn't understand what he was saying in soft tones. “W-what?” He asked. The blonde repeated the noises, but he couldn't understand. Where was he? Why couldn't he understand?

Nico promptly burst into tears. “I-I want my m-mom!” The blonde’s eyes widened, and he didn't seem to know what to do with himself, or with his hands. They reached out to Nico, then fell back to his sides.

He spoke again, pointing at Nico’s shirt then to his own. He made stay put motions with his hands and left quickly, sneaking glances back at him as he ran to a large house in the distance.

Nico hiccupped mournfully. He just wanted his mom, even the sight of his sister would be a godsend. He fidgeted uncomfortably. His chest had started throbbing, like the beat of a drum. He drew in short breaths and clawed at his throat. The burning was coming back!

He looked around desperately, but either no one seemed to notice, or they weren't in a particular rush to help. He gulped for air that wouldn't come, and saw that the blonde boy was coming back. Help was coming, he told himself to keep from panicking. Help was coming.

The boy seemed to have noticed that something was wrong, and started running. He yelled something behind him, and Nico heard gallops.

The burning in his throat grew intolerable, and Nico wondered in a muddled haze if it would stop he somehow managed to actually claw into his throat, just so air could get through. His back hit the sand, his arms splayed out beside him.

The blonde threw himself next to Nico, and grabbed his hand, a look of confusion crossing his features. Nico blinked, and he was gone.

The boy, the beach, the people.

Nico coughed on the cold sidewalk of Venice, and looked up at the concerned faces of his family. Water dribbled down his throat messily, but he supposed he couldn't be too particular about that considering all of him was sopping wet.

His mom hugged him tightly, whispering thanks to the man who had apparently dived in after him, judging by the state of his clothes. Bianca was kneeling beside him, tears still in her eyes.

Nico looked around confused. What he had seen, it had felt so real. He could have sworn he had felt the sun burn his back and had grains of sand stick and dug into his cheek when he had fallen. He squeezed his mom back just as tightly as she had to him.

“Thank you, thank you so much,” she repeated. “I don't know how I can repay you.”  

The man smiled, and it reminded Nico of the way the girls years above him would smile when they spoke to someone they pretended to like: fake. “It's fine. You know what they say after all, family should always stick together.” He stared at his mother with such an intensity in his ocean colored eyes, and Nico felt his mom freeze.

“Yes, well. We really shouldn't take up anymore of your time, and we should really get going. I'm sure mass is nearly over!” His mom laughed forcibly.

The man joined her laughter. “If our paths cross again, do tell me how praying to that God of yours is going, Ms. Di Angelo.” He kneeled until he was at eye level with him and Bianca. “And you two, take care of each other. You never know when something might happen…” 

His mother rose quickly, carrying him like a koala, and holding Bianca’s hand in a grip that left her knuckles white. “Thank you, again,” she said stiffly. “We really must get going.”

“But of course.”

His mom turned, and Nico felt that the only reason she wasn't running was because the man was still watching. Nico buried his head into her shoulder and sniffled. When he looked back up, the walkway was empty, the only sound being the rhythmic _click-clack_ of his mom’s heels echoing against the concrete and their breathing.

 

*.*.*.*

 

As soon as they got home, his mom peeled off his soggy clothes and heated up water on their stove for a hot bath. He felt infinitely better when he sank into the warm water. This kind of water he was comfortable with, he felt safe in. The water outside, it made him feel inexplicably nervous.

Bianca waited for him outside the bathroom and crawled into bed with him when he was done. She threaded her fingers with his and rested her head against his wet hair. They didn't say anything for a long time, just laid there looking to the other side of the bedroom where Bianca’s bed was and listening to the frantic moves of their mother coming from the living room.

At last, Bianca spoke. “You… You stopped breathing, for a while. You scared us a lot. We thought you might have been-” She cut herself off.

Goosebumps traveled up and down his arms. He hugged his blanket closer to him. “I'm not though. I'm fine.” 

She squeezed his hand. “I know. Thank god.” Hushed whispers carried their way through the door. A deep voice was mixed in with his mom’s. Sharing a look with Bianca, they moved to the door as one.

“No! No, I'm not doubting your abilities to keep us safe, I'm saying that this man said he was family. You know where he comes from.” They heard their mother say.

“They told me they would spare Venice. I thought it would be safe.” Nico’s eyes widened. He looked to Bianca. 

“What is dad-” He tried to whisper, but Bianca put her hand over his mouth and shushed him. He licked her fingers and inched away when she took back her hand with disgust.

Nico tried to hear more of what they missed. “Maria, listen to me. You have to come to America. None of Europe is safe anymore. Not for our children. We'll leave tonight, I'll make preparations.” His father said.

“...okay,” his mom whispered.

“Have the children pack lightly, only what they might need in their own bag. We must hurry. If Poseidon’s son found Nico, I think they all know by now about you. I'll be back for you soon, love.”

When they heard their father leave and their mother make her way to them, they leapt onto the bed and tried their best to pretend they hadn't heard a thing. Whether they were convincing or not didn't matter, Nico thought. His mom was so out of it, he doubted she would notice much.

“We’re going on a trip with dad!” She tried to say enthusiastically, but fell a bit short. “Pack a few things in your backpacks, okay? Underwear, socks, one toy each, okay?”

They nodded, and waited for her to leave before whispering to each other. “Bianca, what's happening?” He asked quietly as he dumped out his school papers and started to fill up the bag with clothes.

“I don't know, _fratellino_.” She said, biting on her lip. “Dad’s here and… I don't know.”

His father wasn't really one of his favorite topics. He came to visit them sparingly, months, sometimes even a year or two passing by before he came again. After his father comes and goes, his mom always looked sadder than before. Bianca had told him that before he was born, and while he was a baby, his dad would come by nearly every week. 

And of course, people talked. About his mom, about his dad, about everything. Nico used to wish that he could somehow keep his dad at home all the time, just so that his mom would be happy all the time too. But they were going on a trip with dad, and if he were to be honest, he was a bit excited, despite the way his mom was acting that made him nervous.

He wondered if he would get to see his dad’s house. They had never gone to him before. Would it be big? What if he had a dog? He hoped he had a dog.

Looking around his side of the room, he picked up a small photograph of his sister and mom and him and stuffed it by his socks. Decidedly, he added a ball to his bag. Just in case he had a dog.

He looked over to Bianca. Her bag laid mostly empty on her bed, and she sat still next to it. “Mom said to pack.” He reminded her.

“I know,” she said. “I'm scared, Nico. I have a bad feeling about this.” He climbed up next to her. “Something's going to happen to mom, I feel it.” Bianca was looking at anything but him, and Nico felt a bit sick.

The last time Bianca had gotten a bad feeling about someone, the little boy had been dead the next day, having been caught in the middle of a mugging gone wrong. “That's not going to happen to mom though, we'll keep her safe.” He told her.

“Yeah,” she answered. “We'll keep her safe.”

Their mom came in followed by their dad. He was dressed sharply in a black suit. He went to their bed and held up his hands as if in prayer. They were told to join hands, and they disappeared into shadows.

 

*.*.*.*

 

An eagle.

Lightning.

Fire.

Black.

Smoke.

_MOM_!

Nico died a second time that day when he saw the charcoal-like corpse of his mother still reaching out to protect her children, the smell of flesh burning his nose.

He didn't see a blonde boy this time around. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Bianca are taken out of the Lotus Hotel and taken to their father for the first time in seventy years. Nico dies for a second time and appears in front of Will, who is confused why none of his siblings will help him when Nico is so obviously bleeding out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the style is a bit different, but the time in the hotel was supposed to be confusing, so. Brian is in fact a stoner, and Nico's first crush.

 

Hotels.

Were.

Freaking.

Amazing.

Nico could not handle his excitement well enough at all. Going into the Lotus hotel had meant salvation, he knew that. He just couldn't remember from what… Something about parents, he was sure of it.

Parents were lame though.

Parents wouldn't let him get on all those rides that the hotel offered, nor would they let him eat all those delicious cookies that he could get whenever and wherever he wanted. Granted, Bianca didn't like it all that much either…

Well, siblings were pretty lame too and overrated, come to think of it. Nico didn't understand why his sister was so against the hotel. It was awesome!

There were these giant metal loops, called rollercoasters he was later informed, that were positively brilliant. An arcade room filled with games on a screen, and that called to all of the kids in the hotel. Nico had made a few friends because of it too.

There was Brian, a teenager that only spoke to him because Nico had managed to beat his high-score on Pac-Man. He always smelled of a sickly sweet perfume that made Bianca tell him to stay away from him, but Brian had a smile that made his breath catch, so he mainly ignored his sister.

There was Chris, a boy a lot closer to his age, which was… Something. Nico was young. And so was Chris. They liked to see who could last the longest on Pirates Cove, a big, loopy ride, after lunch without throwing up.

There were all of the waiters and waitresses, who liked to pinch his cheeks before giving him a plateful of cookies. They always took great care of him and made sure he always ate something, even if it was just dessert. Unlike Bianca, who scolded him if he ever touched food in front of her.

She had been acting really weird since they had gotten to the hotel, and they'd been there for...a long time. He was positive she had been different before, when they used to live in…

Nico brought his brows together. Where had they lived? He couldn't remember. He took a thoughtful bite of the cookie he was holding. Ah well, what did it matter? He was at the hotel now, and that was more of a home than what he could remember.

“Nico!” He turned mid-chew to where his sister was calling from, at the doors of the arcade room.

“Gotta go,” he told Brian. “I'll see you later?”

“Whatever dude,” he answered, not taking his eyes off of the screen. He was sooo cool.

He met Bianca, and she grabbed his arm almost aggressively. “Woah, wait. What's wrong?”

“I know this is gonna sound weird… But I think there might be somebody here for us.”

His cookie dropped. “What do you mean? Who? And why?”

“I don't know, but I have a really bad feeling about her.” Bianca met his eyes, and bells rang in his head. She had said those words before, somewhere before the hotel… His head hurt from trying to recall where.

“Are you even sure this lady is here for us? There are a lot of kids here, she could be here for any one of them.” He argued. Nico just wanted to go play, his head was pounding. Playing would make it better, he knew it.

“I'm not sure, at all. But Nico, there's something weird about this place, you have to have felt it,” his sister said as she led him to the elevator. “Can you remember how long we've been here for? Or where we were before this?”

Nico felt like crying. He couldn't. But should he have been able to? Why couldn't he? The elevator dinged open, blissfully empty. He didn't resist as Bianca pulled him inside and pushed their floor number.

“It's weird, Nico,” she continued. “We have to leave. We'll go to our room, get our things and leave. Okay?”

He nodded solemnly and swallowed his panic down. Bianca was right. Nothing about the hotel was natural. Flashes of serpents and furry animal-like legs passed through his mind, as if just speaking about it made him remember. They had to leave. He ignored the swooping feeling of his stomach as the elevator rose higher and higher.

Instead, he focused on holding onto Bianca’s hand. He squeezed it, and she smiled down at him. “We'll be okay. Don't worry.”

The elevator came to a stop, and Nico looked up to the black screen that read a few floors lower than theirs. Bianca tightened her grip as a sharply dressed woman stepped inside. 

He looked up to his sister in question, but she stared ahead stiffly. His eyes went back to the woman and widened in understanding. Oh crap.

He jiggled his foot impatiently as the red numbers on the screen inched closer to their own. Everything in his head was telling him to run, run, run. Nico glanced back at the woman, and blinked.

And blinked. He could have sworn he had just seen broken, black wings, and pale leathery skin. He followed Bianca’s lead and stared at the glistening doors.

He could have cried out in joy when they opened on their floor. Instead, he walked hand in hand with his sister, and tried hard not to look back. He felt like that one lady in the bible that was told by an angel not to look back at her burning city, or else her family would parish.

Look back and your family dies. They weren't in too different positions.

Bianca swung open the door to their room and locked it when they were inside. “Was that-”

She nodded curtly, her lips pressed into a thin white line. “We have to go. I'm not sure if I imagined it or not, but I think she had-”

“Wings,” Nico whispered in horror. If Bianca had seen them too, then they must have been real. And if they were real....

Nico ran and grabbed his beaten up backpack that laid in a forgotten corner. He had never unpacked. Out of impulse, he grabbed a hotel card and stuffed it into his pocket. Just as a souvenir.

A finger tapped his shoulder. “Are you ready?” He nodded. His sister grabbed his hand again, and they headed to the stairs. There was a sign hanging by them, informing all that they were only to be used in case of emergency.

Well, he and his sister might be being chased by a creature that looked like it had crawled its way out of the pits of hell. He was pretty sure that classified as an emergency.

They jogged down the flights of stairs, and the burning in his thighs made him feel tempted to sit on the railing and slide down instead. But looking down at the long descent to the lobby made him dizzy, so better to just not.

His cheeks felt hot and he wheezed rather than breathed. Next to him, Bianca wasn't faring much better. Her breaths came in short puffs, and she kept repeating, “Almost there, almost there,” to herself.

Above them, a door slammed open, and it echoed terribly throughout the stairwell. Nico heard a loud screech, and looked up the see the lady, that thing, from the elevator leaning over the railing.

Nico hadn't even noticed he had stopped moving until he felt Bianca tug urgently at his arm. But he was rooted to the spot, even as he saw the creature unfurl its wings and leap over the railing, to him.

“NICO!” Bianca screamed. The creature extended its claws, but Nico couldn't move at all now.

Talons were sticking into his chest and stomach, bright, blood blossoming on his shirt. His knees buckled, but he couldn't fall when the creature was still holding him up.

Bianca screamed again, but there were no words, it was just pain. A hand stroked his hair and she started to say his name over and over again, like a broken record player.

The third time that Nico di Angelo died, all he did was blink, and everything was gone.

 

*.*.*.*

 

He was in a long open room with beds lined up against opposite walls. People who were too young to be doctors or nurses bustled around in white coats, tended to their patients. Nearly everyone had on an orange shirt.

Nico looked down at himself in confusion. He could still see where the thing had stabbed him, and could feel the stickiness of his blood against his skin. Shouldn't he be dead? Shouldn't he be in heaven, or purgatory, or somewhere? But surprisingly, that wasn't his first priority.

Orange shirts. Where, where had he seen that before? A beach, he recalled. And a blonde. Water. His mother.

Nico gasped and grabbed at his head. Memories came into his head suddenly as if a dam had burst. His knees clacked against the tile floor as he fell. His father, his mother. Oh god, his mommy. His mommy….

Something heavy felt like it was pressing his chest, and a sob fell from his lips. He wanted Bianca. He needed to get to her.

Somewhere, she was stuck with that creature that hurt him. And if something happened to her while he wasn't there, she would die, and Nico would be alone, forever.

He stood onto his feet shakily, supporting himself with a messy desk. No one in the room turned to him, or seemed to notice him. Humming came from behind him, and Nico turned involuntarily.

The blonde dropped what was in his hands, and small golden squares scattered along the floor. The boy stepped over them, towards Nico.

“It's you.” He said, before noticing the blood. “Oh my gods. What happened? Come here, we need to get you to a bed.” An arm wrapped itself gingerly around Nico’s waist, leading him to a bed with clean white sheets. 

Nico worried absentmindedly about getting it dirty, but the boy didn't seem to share his worries. Nico stared a bit. The boy had gotten taller, and his hair a bit longer, golden strands curling at his forehead and ears. But other than that, his face had remained mostly the same.

Nico wondered vaguely if his own appearance had changed at all. “Who are you? I know you're not a camper, so what happened?” The blonde asked. “You know what, don't answer that. I know you can't speak English. This must be so confusing for you.”

“Will!” Called a teenager with floppy brown hair. “Who the hell are you talking to?”

“To your newest patient,” Will yelled back. “Why the hell aren't you doing anything?”

Nico croaked out, “English...is fine.”

“Oh good. Michael, could you bring me the ambrosia?” Will asked as he grabbed a pair of scissors and cut through Nico’s shirt. “And maybe some nectar and bandages?”

Nico put his hand on Will’s wrist to stop him. “My sister… She's still out there. I need to get to her.”

Will continued his quick work. “We'll send out a rescue team, but right now you need to stay where you are. You shouldn't be moving at all with these wounds. Michael! Please?”

“Will this isn't funny. There isn't anybody there.” The boy said slowly. “Stop messing around.”

Nico’s breath caught in his throat. He wasn't sure if it was because the pressure on his chest was getting harder, or if it was because this Michael person had just confirmed what he had thought.

“You stop playing, he's dying Mikey! Why aren't you doing anything?! I can feel his life force leaving! Why aren't you helping?!”

Nico coughed, and specks of blood flew out of his mouth and onto his shirt. His head was swimming unpleasantly. He didn't want to deal with any of this. He just wanted Bianca.

A warm hand grabbed his own. “He-he's gone,” Nico heard a solemn voice say above him as he shut his eyes. “He's dead.”

 

*.*.*.*

 

Eyes flying open, he sat up and hit his forehead against another.

“N-Nico?” His sister cried. He hugged her tightly and heard her sob his name again. In front of him, the creature had turned back to human, and adjusted its glasses.

“You two are to come with me, your father has instructed it.”

“You killed my brother, you monster! We aren't going anywhere with you!” Bianca growled, and covered Nico with her body.

“Well, maybe if he were a smarter demigod-” Nico tuned out of the conversation as the creature and his sister argued back and forth, his ears ringing.

He looked down at his stomach uneasily. His shirt was cut in the same way the boy, Will, had cut it. That meant that where he had gone, what he'd seen, what he'd heard, that was all real. He moved the shirt aside gingerly, and froze.

Scars littered his stomach, but he couldn't see his insides anymore. The puncture wounds had healed.

“Bianca,” he whispered, and sister stopped talking, looking to him in concern. “Look.” He lifted his shirt slowly.

His sister looked at his stomach with a mix of horror and gratefulness. The creature licked her lips in a way that made Nico feel nervous, and her words didn't ease it. “Not even ten years old and already displaying such power! The prophecy…” She looked at the siblings, crazed. “We must go. Master won't be pleased.”

“Who's your master?” Nico asked slowly, feeling as if he already knew the answer.

“Your father.” She answered, and his heart stopped for a long second.

“Okay,” said Bianca for him. “We’ll go. But we want answers.”

“And you'll get them, my dear, as soon as we get to your father.” She smiled widely, showing off her unusually sharp teeth. She pulled out what looked like a dog whistle from her pocket, and blew.

Nico couldn't hear a thing, but suddenly there was heavy panting behind him. He turned around, and fell down a few stairs, taking Bianca with him. “Who-what are you?” He asked as he stared at the large dog with red eyes and canines as long as his hand.

The creature walked down to the dog and scratched behind its ears. Its stubby tail wagged wildly. “Don't worry so much about the ‘what’, but I suppose you can call me Mrs. Dodds.”

 

*.*.*.*

 

Traveling by dog was strange.

He had thought at first that maybe they would ride it like they would a horse, and that the dog would run and take them to wherever his father was. He wasn't too wrong.

Mrs. Dodds had them climb on the dog, which was kinda awesome, but then it wasn't so great. She hadn't climbed on with them, just instructed them to hold on tight before yelling, “Jump!” at the dog.

Nico’s stomach dropped as the dog leapt into the middle of the stairwell, falling past floors and floors of the hotel. He leaned back against Bianca and her arms tightened around him. He bit his lip so that he wouldn't scream. Maybe they had been wrong in trusting the lady.

She had killed him once already, not even twenty minutes ago. Who was to say that she wasn't going to do it again?

Nico opened his eyes and screamed. They weren't in the stairwell anymore. Darkness surrounded them, wind whipping through his thin clothes and chilling him to his core. Vaguely humanoid shadows leapt out of the dark and clawed at them. He closed his eyes again and waited until he couldn't feel anymore wind to open them once more.

Bianca slid off the dog and lifted him off, setting him gently to the floor. The dog barked once happily before fading into the shadows. Nico tightened his grip on his backpack straps and looked around in awe.

Never before had he seen anything built so big and so over-the-top. The floor and pillars were made of pale, ashy white marble, the ceiling pitch black. Thick red velvet curtains hung between the pillars, hiding everything beyond the building itself. His gaze caught on the dark throne across the room.

He tapped his sister silently, and pointed. Together, they walked towards it, their footsteps echoing against the marble. “Exactly what is our dad, Bianca?” Nico whispered.

His sister was silent for a long time, Nico thought that she hadn't heard. “The woman, Mrs. Dodds,” she eventually said. “She called us demigods. And if what she said was true… Then that means that dad is a-”

“God,” a voice said. Nico looked up to see that the throne was no longer empty. His father was sitting atop it, robes swirling with shadows. He hadn't changed a bit, Nico thought. His skin was still the same pale pallor, his face still smooth and free of any wrinkles that should have come with age.

“Dad.” He said, and ran the few steps up to him and threw himself at him into a hug. “I thought you were hurt, like mom.” A cold hand patted his back slowly, like it really didn't know what to do. Nico felt another body against him, Bianca.

“Where's mom?” She asked, her voice muffled against their father’s robes. “Is she here with you?”

“...yes.” Their dad said slowly. “She's here, and she's safe and happy.”

“Can we see her?” Nico asked excitedly. He had been so sure she was gone, but their dad was a god. He wouldn't let that happen to mom. He couldn't.

“No. You can't, I'm sorry.”

“Why not?” He asked dejectedly. Did she not want to see them?

“My child, I've broken so many rules for you two and your mother. I'm afraid that if I were to do so once more, it would not be ignored.” His deep voice rumbled pleasantly throughout his chest, and it was a sharp contrast with the words he spoke. Nico leaned into his dad and sighed.

Bianca spoke quietly. “We want answers, dad. What happened? Who are you? Where did you put us, and why take us out of the hotel now?”

As if he didn't quite know what to do, their dad remained silent for a while. He sighed with his whole being, tired. “I suppose it won't matter, you'll soon forget everything. And I would rather part amicably.”

Their father launched himself into a story of titans, gods, monsters. He told them of how he had been given the Underworld to rule, and his two brothers and their deadly rivalry. He told them how their sons had been after them, of their move to America to safety. He told them how he had barely managed to get them into the hotel where time froze, and how their mother had been the one to face the rath of Zeus.

He told them about a prophecy that would be fulfilled by one of the three’s children, one that could potentially destroy Olympus. He told them that being his children was dangerous, but that it was time for them to enter the world again, for the prophecy.

Nico listened carefully, but still had so many questions. What did that mean for them? Did they have powers like their dad? What kind? Would he come with them to the mortal world?

“Our time is up.” Hades said, and the siblings climbed off of him. “Alecto here will take care of you.”

“You said we would forget,” Bianca accused. “What did you mean?”

Hades didn't answer, but had his head tilted to a side as if he were listening to someone. “Alecto, take them to the river. I have business to attend to.” With a blink, he was gone, and they were left alone with Mrs. Dodds.

“What's at the river?” Bianca demanded, her hand reaching out for Nico’s. Her fingers were trembling something awful, and Nico himself wasn't feeling so good.

It was too much, too soon to take in. He was part god, and his mother was still dead, but she was there, somewhere, in the Underworld, happy. He was seventy years into the future, but he looked two years older at the most. Nico tried not to think about what had happened to his friends, his neighbors. It was too much.

Mrs. Dodds extended both her arms to them, and they grabbed her hands cautiously. They felt like what Nico imagined an old leather jacket to feel. With a sound of flapping wings, the throne room disappeared, and surrounded by rocky cliffs, they suddenly stood at the edge of a riverbed.

The water was milky white, and churned slowly down its path. Nico could see a few people staring absently at the water, or at each other a few miles down.

Nervousness built itself up in him. What was Alecto, Mrs. Dodds, whatever, going to do? Bianca said so aloud.

“I am to give you new lives. Just step into the water,” she gestured with a clawed hand.

“What'll happen to us if we do?” Bianca asked, glancing between Alecto and the river.

“We'll forget, won't we?” Nico said, barely above a whisper. “We'll forget everything.”

A nod.

Nico looked to Bianca, and squeezed her hand. He wasn't sure if he wanted to or not, or if he would even have a choice. Alecto might have been acting agreeable now, but she wouldn't as soon as they would refuse, he knew it.

“What will happen to our memories? Do they just...disappear?” He asked, staring at the water.

“Master will keep them. Maybe one day you'll get them back, it all depends on him.” She said, smiling widely. Nico felt unsettled. “Now step in and drink the water.”

He looked up to Bianca, and she nodded slowly, but surely. If his dad and his sister both agreed, then it was the right thing to do. “I'll go first,” Bianca said, and she leaned down to give him a peck on the cheek before she stepped into the water. “I love you, fratellino,” she said as she brought up a scoop of water to her mouth.

At first, there was no visible change, but then his sister started swaying to and fro before falling to the rest of the river with a loud splash. Alecto fished her out before Nico could even voice his concerns, and dragged her to land.

His sister coughed, but remained unconscious. Nico gulped. It was his turn. He took off his backpack and placed it at Bianca’s feet. He inhaled deeply and stepped into the water.

He wrinkled his nose as his shoes and socks got wet. It wouldn't matter soon though, would it? Would the new him hate it too, or not mind it? Shaking his head to get rid of the thoughts, he scooped his hands and brought the water up to his lips. It might have looked like milk, but it didn't taste like it. It burned as it went down his throat, but left a cool sensation afterwards.

He turned to find Alecto was looking at him curiously. He still remembered everything. Was it not working?

“Step out, child.” She said at last.

“Why isn't it working?” He asked, staring at Bianca’s body. It had worked on her. Why not him?

“I doubted it would work on you. You know what they say. The dead never forget.” Before Nico could argue that he was alive, he stopped. Yes, he was alive, but he had also died twice, the last time that same day. “Your sister did forget, however. So this is what we're going to do.”

Alecto got close to his face until he could smell her putrid breath. “You are going to forget about today. Put it out of your mind, don't think about what Master said to you about who he is, okay? Forget about the gods, and forget about your past. Don't think it, and for the love of Olympus, never say it.

“I know that death doesn't mean much to you, but it means everything to your sister. Think about it and she dies. Is it understood?” A claw dragged under his chin and dug into his skin as he nodded shakily.

There was a groan behind him, and they both turned to see Bianca waking up blearily. “Wha-what. Who are you guys? Where am I?” She looked down at her hands. “Who am I?” Her eyes went up to Nico’s, and his heart pounded. It hurt that there was no recognition there, but it was better.

Bianca would die if it were different, and he wouldn't accept that.

Alecto was back to human. “Your name is Bianca di Angelo, and this is your brother, Nico. I'm your lawyer, Mrs. Dodds.”

“Why do we need a lawyer?” She asked slowly as she stood. Nico wondered what she was seeing that she didn't ask where they were. 

Mrs. Dodds faked a sniffle. “I'm so sorry to inform you that both of your parents died in a car crash.” Nico felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. He looked up to Bianca.

While she listened attentively to Alecto’s explanation of how they had no family, but they had a trust fund and how they were to go to a boarding school now that they couldn't live alone, Nico stared numbly at the sister he used to have. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo. Yeah. We have like maybe two more chapters with Bianca before the big splat. Gotta enjoy it while it lasts. Also, kinda important that you've read the books. It won't be following canon exactly, but there are some things you won't get unless you've read both series. 
> 
> If you liked the chapter, feel free to leave a comment or kudos! Love those who do, it's ridiculous how big you guys make me smile! ❤❤❤


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Bianca are left at Westover Hall, and Nico can't seem to escape from the truth.

Nico played with the beads on his rosary idly and stared up at the dark ceiling. Although his eyes ached with exhaustion, he was too wound up to fall asleep comfortably. His sister moved slightly next to him, and he tensed, not wanting to wake her.

He and Bianca were stuck sharing a bed, and Alec--Mrs. Dodds, he reminded himself sharply, Mrs. Dodds, had taken the other bed in the hotel room. He wasn't quite sure what city they were in, or what exactly qualified as safe, but he doubted anything would come looking for them with Mrs. Dodds at their side.

Bianca shifted once more, this time slinging her leg across his own. He shut his eyes to stop the sudden prickling. It hurt to look at her and just know that she wasn't the sister he had grown up with. It hurt. The whole day with her had left a deep ache in his chest that almost left him short of breath.

She was like an empty shell. Her eyes held confusion rather than affection, and when she did reach out to him, he knew it was because it was something she felt an obligation to do, not something she wanted.

Nico breathed out sharply. It didn't matter, he supposed. Not anymore. He should count his blessings and be grateful he still had family at all. All he had in this new world was his sister, and he'd rather have this unknown version of her than be alone.

“You'd best fall asleep boy.” He turned his head to stare blankly at the red eyes across from him. “What's been done is done.”

He gave no answer, and turned his back to her. Nico burrowed his head into his sister's neck and closed his eyes, allowing himself for a moment to forget all that had happened.

And if he held her a bit tighter than necessary, well. It was something only he would know.

 

*.*.*.*

 

Waking up wasn't pleasant. Mrs. Dodds sat at the desk in the corner of the room, quietly nursing a cup of coffee. The other side of his bed was empty, but the shower running in the background eased his panic.

“There's a bag of clothes for you at the end of the bed,” said Mrs. Dodds.

Nico looked at the clock. “It's nine in the morning. How?” Mrs. Dodds smiled thinly but didn't answer, and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know.

The shower turned off, and a few minutes later Bianca stepped out, her hair dripping onto the carpet. It was odd seeing her dressed so masculine in jeans and a t-shirt rather than her usual dress, but it suited her oddly enough.

“Hurry up in there,” she instructed him. “We're going down for breakfast as soon as you're done.”

He nodded and grabbed the bag. In the shower, he fumbled with the knobs a bit before a cold stream of water hit him in the face. The thought of breakfast had him stepping out quickly, and shoving his limbs through his new, stiff clothing. On a whim, he grabbed Bianca’s green hat that she had left atop her dirty clothes.

He opened the door to find his sister waiting for him. “You ready to go?” He nodded. “What's that?” She asked, pointing to his hands.

His fingers tightened involuntarily. “Its yours, you left it in there.”

Bianca’s lips pursed. “Really? I don't remember having that.”

“It's yours. I think you should wear it. It goes with your…” Nico gestured to her clothes.

“Thanks, I guess,” eying him oddly, she took the hat. “Mrs. Dodds said that we're checking out right after breakfast so take your things. Not that we actually have anything, but you know.”

He thought back to his backpack he had stuffed under his pillow. “Yeah I know.”

Bianca went out to the hallway and he rushed to their bed, searching everywhere, but he could no longer find his bag. His eyes watered angrily. Everything he had about him was in that bag. Everything that he had left to remember his mother was in there.

“Looking for this?” Mrs. Dodds called out behind him. He turned abruptly. Dangling from her fingers was his backpack. He made to grab it, but she was quicker. “Ah ah ah. Remember our little talk the other day, Nico?”

He nodded slowly, his heart dancing wildly in its cage. “I can't let you have this,” she said finally. “Master wouldn't be pleased.”

“He'll be less pleased if he finds out I haven't forgotten.”

Mrs. Dodds stayed silent, her eyes flashing red before she threw it angrily at his chest. “Have it your way, you little pest. Your sister will pay for your stubbornness, rest assured.”

“I'll keep her safe.” He said simply while his heart stuttered nervously. She was right, this was what he was warned about and there he was breaking his own rules.

Mrs. Dodds stomped out instead of responding, Nico trailing in her wake.

Breakfast was an awkward affair, what with Nico still too scared to say the wrong thing and Mrs. Dodds’ bad temper dampening any possible mood at the table.

He picked half-heartedly at his fruit, chewing slowly and glancing repeatedly at Bianca out of the corner of his eyes. She looked highly uncomfortable and unsure of herself, as if wondering if she somehow had anything to do with her sour mood.

“Where are we going after this?” She asked with her voice near a whisper. “I mean. If we don't have any other family, who are we supposed to stay with? Because I swear to god, if it's the system-”

“Don't fret, Ms. di Angelo, your parents were wealthy enough that the both of you don't have to work a day in your lives. In the mean time, I have a boarding school lined up for you that your parents had been looking at.”

A piece of watermelon dropped from his mouth. “A boarding school?”

“Yes. I do hope it's not a problem?” Mrs. Dodds said sympathetically.

“Oh no! Not at all,” Bianca said. “As long as we're together it's fine. Right Nico?”

He nodded, looking down at his plate. “As long as we're together,” he repeated.

 

*.*.*.*

 

Westover Hall stood over them like a stony giant waiting to eat them whole. In the distance, Nico could hear the waves beating persistently against the cliffside like a drum. There was a heavy presence surrounding the place, and he wondered if he was justified in his feelings of foreboding.

“Come now,” Mrs. Dodds called out. “No time to waste, get your luggage and I'll check you two in.”

Nico crawled out of the car behind Bianca and shivered as a blast of cold air hit him. “It's a bit cold up here, isn't it?” Bianca asked, noticing his goosebumps. “I wonder what the uniforms will be like.”

He swallowed. Uniforms. Boarding school. Bianca. Everything was coming at him too fast and he felt like he barely even had time to breathe before life dealt him another punch.

He watched numbly as the chauffeur dragged out their luggage from the trunk. Just a few weeks ago, he had his family. Just a few weeks ago, he didn't have to worry about any dangers to him or about staying alive. And it felt like so little time had passed but at the same time he could feel the weight of the decades spent tra-

“Nico!” Bianca shook his shoulder. “Are you okay? You completely zoned out on me there.”

“I don't know,” he murmured.

“What?”

“I said I don't know if I'm okay,” he whispered. Bianca searched his face before drawing him into a hug. “I think I might be going crazy,” he confessed, tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

“I know, I know,” she said, rubbing his back in a manner that reminded him of his mother. “Everything right now is weird, with what happened to mom and dad and how we're supposed to feel about that, but you know what?”

“What?” He sniffled against her shirt.

“We have each other. As long as we have each other, we'll never be alone, and we'll always be okay. Right?” Nico nodded and held on to his sister a little longer before he felt like he had to pull away.

He wiped surreptitiously at the wetness of his face as they made their way from the car to the front doors of the school, where Mrs. Dodds stood speaking to a man in a neatly pressed uniform. They turned to them.

“I'm glad you've decided to join us,” said Mrs. Dodds, her eyebrow arched. “As I was telling Dr. Thorn here, it's time for me to take my leave.”

“You're leaving?” Bianca asked nervously. “Isn't it a bit soon?”

“I'm a lawyer, not a babysitter. My duties have been fulfilled.” Bianca glanced back and forth between her and the school.

“What will happen to us after the school year is over though? Where will we go?” His sister asked. In all honesty, Nico couldn't understand why his sister seemed so fidgety at being left by Mrs. Dodds. The sooner she was gone, the better.

“It's the middle of August, Miss. You won't have to worry about that for a while,” Dr. Thorn cut in. “You and your brother will be in good hands here.”

“But what if we aren't?”

“Bianca…” Nico warned. The idea of his sister being in danger hit a little too close to home.

“It's fine. I can understand Ms. di Angelo’s worry.” Mrs. Dodds reached into her purse and pulled out a card. It was obsidian black with a phone number written in fine white print in the middle. “In case of an emergency or anything strange at all, call this number.” Mrs. Dodds looked into his eyes. “I'll be here in a jiffy.”

“They'll be in good hands here, don't you worry ma'am,” the headmaster assured her.

“Oh,” she breathed out. “I'm not worried one bit.” And without so much as a bye, she left, her shoes crunching against the gravel of the driveway.

“She sure is something, isn't she,” marveled Dr. Thorn. “Well come along, we should start your tour and get you two situated in your dorms.”

“That sounds great,” Nico spoke, his voice the slightest bit hoarse. And the headmaster smiled and opened the doors.

 

*.*.*.*

 

Westover Hall had the oddest feel to it, Nico thought silently as they were guided down the halls. It felt like someone had once tried to make it home with warm colors and decorations in the corridors, but the cold bricks and gloomy weather had only dampened the effects.

Rusted swords and plaques rested atop outdated wallpaper. “We were founded in the early 1900’s as a military school,” began Dr. Thorn, “But now that the majority of our pupils are on the younger side, we've taken out a lot of the military influences. We still have the occasional drill, but not the rigorous training.”

He proceeded to explain their classes, six each, and the dorms. “Both of you will have an assigned roommate, and if there are any issues you can file a complaint with administration.”

“We're not rooming together?” His heart skipped a beat. How was he supposed to keep her safe if she was far from him?

“I'm afraid not, Mr. di Angelo. Our dorms are separated by gender. You know, most of the siblings that come here are rather happy to be apart.”

“Not us,” Bianca said, edging closer to him. 

“I can see that,” he smiled. “We have a sort of common room for the students, so it isn't a goodbye. Now, curfew is at nine, and lights out is at ten. The common room is open from three to eight-thirty. Good?”

They nodded. “You'll get your schedules and uniforms tomorrow, and just know that you only need to wear the uniform during classes, afterwards you can change into regular clothing if you'd like.” The headmaster paused. “That's it really, I'll take you to your dorms now.”

He continued to talk, but Nico wasn't listening anymore. Bianca nudged his hand. “Do you want to meet up tomorrow, after classes?” She asked hesitantly. He nodded.

“I'd like that,” he responded, smiling back at her. They reached the entrance to the dorms. Nico made to follow them, but he was told that no boys were allowed in that wing.

“I'll see you tomorrow,” his sister said as a goodbye. He nodded and closed his eyes until all he could hear was the distant rolling of wheels of her luggage.

Not even five minutes later, Dr. Thorn was back and took him across the building to where the boy's dormitory was located. Rows of doors lined the wing. By each door was a small plaque reading their number.

“You'll be in room B13 with Mr. Gregory R. We've had some...housing problems with him before, but if anything happens I'm sure that we can work something out.” Nico stopped in front of his new room. “Dinner is at 6 in the cafeteria, I'd advise you to not be late, everything good is gone if you wait too long, but other than that, classes start at eight,” continued the headmaster.

Nico turned the doorknob and stepped into the room. There was a bunk bed in a corner, right next to a window that overlooked the churning sea. A part of him felt nervous about being so close to the ocean, but he pushed that away and continued to look around.

There were two desks pushed against a wall, one of them overflowing with messily put away notebooks and what looked like homework. Nico turned around to thank Dr. Thorn, but the man was gone. With a sigh Nico closed the door and noted with a frown that it didn't have a lock.

He sat down on the bottom bunk, the only bed that didn't have rumpled sheets, and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't sure if he liked the thought of having a roommate, but he supposed he'd find out soon enough, as soon as classes were over.

In the meantime, he stuffed his luggage under his bed and put his backpack under his pillow and laid back. He would make this work. They could make it work. They had to. Westover would be good for them, he told himself. It was a good thing, a blessing, that they were away from everything crazy.

He stayed in bed for a while, somewhere between sleep and consciousness, his body wanting nothing but rest, but his mind too loud for that to happen. A rustling in the room made his eyes snap open. He couldn't see a thing in the darkness of the room. How much time had passed?

A figure moved by the door. “Who's there?” He warned, grabbing at his necklace. “Show yourself.”

“I-it's just me. Greg? Your new roommate?” A sudden light flooded the room, and Nico blinked, disoriented. A boy about his size stood by the doorway. He pushed his glasses up. “It's nice to meet you.”

“I'm Nico,” he said, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

“Yeah. Sorry about the mess,” Greg said, coming into the room and closing the door behind him. “I haven't had a roommate in a while.”

“It's fine, I don't mind it.”

“But still,” he said, reaching down and picking up the odd shirt here and there. “Um, this is your side of the closet,” he gestured. “I've also been told I snore and talk in my sleep. So I'm sorry in advance.”

“It's fine,” Nico repeated, a hint of a smile on his face.

“Oh! You also missed dinner, so I brought you a sandwich,” Greg said reaching into his pocket and pulled out a napkin-wrapped lump. Nico took it into his hands. His stomach growled.

“Thank you,” he said around a mouthful of bread.

“Anytime, man. I, um, I have homework to do,” he pointed to his desk.

“Yeah, sure.”

Nico finished his food and he didn't know what to do with himself, so he laid back down and watched Greg fidget at his desk. Nico didn't feel uncomfortable exactly, but the silence in the room didn't feel welcome either. What was he supposed to talk about exactly? What could they possibly have common? A lot had changed in the decades that had passed-

He shook his head and stopped himself. It wouldn't do good to think about any of that. He watched Greg scribble stuff down in his notepad before he put it away and pulled out a shiny package.

“That doesn't look like homework,” he found himself saying.

“Oh!” Greg exclaimed, his cheeks turning red as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “It's not.”

Nico stood and went to go look over Greg's shoulder. “What is it then?”

Greg mumbled something.

“What?”

“I said promise you won't make fun of me?”

“I promise,” Nico said, wondering what could be so bad to warrant that. Greg sighed and opened the wrapping. Cards spilled out onto his desk. Nico picked one up and stared at the beautiful illustration depicting a chariot pulling the moon across the sky. In the chariot, a woman stood with a bow slung across her body.

“That's Artemis,” Greg inputted. “She has 200 attack power and her special move can turn men into bears.”

“What are these?” Nico asked, going through the cards carefully, holding his breath.

“It's this game. My uncle makes the drawings on them so I get them for free.” Greg watched his face carefully. “You don't think it's dorky?”

“No,” Nico said, turning over a card that had a man with a lightning bolt on hand. Zeus. His heart hammered in his chest.

His roommate needed no more prompting and smiled brightly. “That's great! All my other roommates thought it was lame. Kinda gave me a hard time over it. Do you wanna learn how to play?”

Nico felt himself nod. Greg smiled. “Awesome! Ok, so this is the attack points on a card…” He went on about how one god could beat another depending on how many points they had, showing him different cards and which ones were his favorites.

“Look,” Greg said, holding up a black card. “This one's my favorite.” A man sat on a throne made of skulls with fire in the background. “Hades has 475 attack points, he's like a guaranteed win. You know,” he squinted at the card. “You kind of look alike.”

Nico breathed out slowly. “What did you say this was called again?”

“Mythomagic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this chapter took so long, hope I still have readers! But here it is! Sadly no Will, but we'll get Percy maybe next chapter, and the Hunters. If you liked it, please feel free to leave a comment or kudos! ❤❤❤


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Bianca go Christmas shopping and discover something about Dr. Thorn.

Sometimes when he closed his eyes and succumbed to sleep, his dreams took him places where he no longer had any business being. He was in the old wooden church pews in his city. He was in the schoolyard playing tag with his friends. He was under his desk, practicing bombing drills. He was in his mother's arms.

But all that was in the past.

The new Nico di Angelo woke up every morning at seven thirty to eat breakfast with his sister, he went to his classes and tried his best even when he couldn't understand a thing on the board, he ate lunch with his sister, he went to the last of his classes, he went to the common room to be with his sister, he snuck in a round of Mythomagic between his shower and his bedtime. That was what the new Nico di Angelo did everyday.

It was hard to remember what it was like before when now his biggest worries were turning in an assignment on time or getting stuck with meatloaf on Tuesdays. But every night he would glide his fingers atop his stomach to feel the raised skin that proved that nothing was a dream. Everything was real.

The days at Westover Hall were growing shorter and colder. There was now a bite in the air that promised the worst of it was yet to come, and it had even been made school policy to own clothes for the cold.

Nico and Greg were in the middle of a particularly rough match of Mythomagic when Greg suddenly threw his cards down and flew to his closet. “I didn't think that you were losing too badly,” Nico said confused.

“No, no it's not that!” Greg's voice was muffled. “It's just that next week is Thanksgiving, and my dumbass forgot to pack.”

Nico frowned. “Language.”

His head popped out between clothes. “Sorry! I forgot that you're like, super religious. Are you celebrating?”

“No,” he replied, looking down at his deck of cards. The sun glared up at from his palm. “We're staying here.”

“Lucky. Every year I'm forced to go and wear a suit, and all my cousins are there and it's just something I'd rather avoid.”

“It's not like we have anywhere to go.”

The room went silent and Nico’s eyes widened as he realized what he had said. He'd avoided talking about his family and his home life, or lack thereof the whole semester. His roommate cleared his throat. “I'm sorry for you and your sister.”

Nico cracked a smile, “It's fine. We've got each other. Anyways, I don't even know what Thanksgiving is.”

“It's just a day where you eat a lot of food. Also turkey, there's always a turkey. Always. I mean, not in my family, cuz we're all vegetarian, but typically there's turkey.”

“Turkey isn't even that good,” he said.

“Agreed, but in other families it's tradition. Speaking about tradition, my uncle's going to be there. Do you want me to ask for a deck for you?” Greg asked, carrying a pile of clothes to Nico’s bed.

“Yeah, that'd be nice. Thank you.”

“You know, I think you might actually like the game more than I do. Which is really saying something.”

He turned the cards over in his hand. Zeus. Hades. Poseidon. Apollo. “Well, I've got a lot to learn.”

 

*.*.*.*

 

Thanksgiving week was blissfully quiet with so many students gone to their annual get-togethers. Nico didn't think he would ever understand this particular American tradition of stuffing yourself to the brim with food.

And with the vacation brought more time with his sister. They had no classes together and the only time they saw each other was during meals and in the common room after classes. That might have been more than enough time together, but Nico still felt the anxiety clawing at his insides when he didn't know where she was or who she was with. There was still a part of him that screamed that she was in danger when she wasn't in his immediate vicinity. 

He was sure that Bianca didn't appreciate all his questions and concerns, and he was aware that he was being the stereotypical annoying little brother, but he couldn't help it. She was his to protect from the truth. And if anything bad ever happened to her, it would be on his shoulders.

He chewed his cereal slowly, like he did with all his food. Bianca carefully spread butter on her toast. She had this thing where she wouldn't take a bite of it if it wasn't layered evenly enough. He didn't really see how it mattered if it was all just going to end up in her stomach anyway, but it was nice to be able to afford to be picky.

“I was thinking,” Bianca started. “We should go out for our winter vacation.”

“Go where?”

“I don't know, out! I feel like I've been here forever. I can't even remember what it's like out there. Or maybe we should go this week, since we wouldn't be missing classes.” She looked up from her food. “What do you think?”

He sipped at his orange juice to buy himself some time. “I think it's dangerous. Who would we go with? Don't we need a chaperone?”

“I'm sure I can get one of the teachers to come with us. Live a little, Nico! Don't you want to go out and buy a dress or buy a game or see a park?”

“You don't even like dresses,” he reminded her.

“I've been stuck in pants for so long I don't even remember. Come on. We can go Christmas shopping now too. Now's the perfect time!”

He looked at her enthusiasm and sighed. “Okay.” He relented. “I'll go.”

Bianca smiled widely. “That's great because I already got Dr. Thorn to agree and I would have hated cancelling on him.” 

Nico froze. “Dr. Thorn is taking us?”

“Yeah. Is that a problem, I thought he was nice?”

“Well, yeah, but that was at the beginning of the year. Now he just...stares and seems kind of angry.” And it was true. The headmaster seemed nothing short of paranoid and suspicious of all the students, almost as if he were looking for someone…

“It's fine, I guess,” he concluded. “But do you even have any money?”

“Yes…” his sister said slowly. “Didn't you find your card?”

He frowned. “What card?”

She pulled out a plastic card from her pocket. “This one, it has money on it. Didn't you find yours in your luggage? Mrs. Dodds put them there.”

Nico coughed. “I haven't really finished unpacking yet.”

“It's been months,” she deadpanned.

“I know, I mean. I still can't help but feel like something is gonna happen and we're gonna have to leave. So, I've only taken out socks and stuff.” Her eyes softened.

“We're good here,” she said reaching across the table for his hand. His spoon clattered back into his bowl.

“I know,” he whispered. He cleared his throat. “So when are we going?”

“Today?”

He nodded and finished his breakfast while he watched Bianca head to the teacher's table to talk to Dr. Thorn. He kept his eyes on the table and thought. What could he get his sister for Christmas? What did she like?

A finger tapped his shoulder. “Time to go,” his sister said.

 

*.*.*.*

 

The ride to the closest shopping mall was long. And awkward.

Dr. Thorn sat behind the wheel while he and Bianca sat in the backseat. The car had the oddest smell to it, like something old and stale had been left in there for a long time. The landscape passed them by in a blur.

Snow covered trees turned into houses, houses turned to buildings that seemingly grew larger with whey mile they drove.

“Do you chaperone often?” Bianca asked as the headmaster as he parked in front of a building that boasted a movie theater and a bowling alley.

“Not often,” he replied stepping out of the car. “Usually when students want something, they have a relative ship it to them, but I understand that your situation is different.”

“We're grateful you took the time,” Bianca said.

“Thank you for bringing us,” Nico added.

“Oh it was no trouble,” he said, looking around almost nervously. “We just have to be fast. The drive back is long.”

They nodded and the three of them made their way inside the mall. Nico didn't really know what to look for, every store front was bright and loud, with signs that screamed Bargains! Sales! 50% Off!

Bianca grabbed his hand and pulled him into a clothing store that seemed to be a mini replica of the outside, complete with its own escalator.

“We'll meet back here in…” Bianca looked for a clock. “An hour?”

Nico nodded and looked around. Where could he start? By the perfumes? By the jewelry?

“If you'll excuse me,” Dr. Thorn coughed, “I have business to attend to. I'll be back here within the hour.” Neither of them noticed as he slipped out of the store silently, too busy staring at everything there was to take in.

“We better hurry up,” Bianca said before she went off. Nico blinked and looked around. Where to start…

He wandered over to the jewelry displays, his eye having been caught by the way the light seemed to bounce off of everything. The person working there smiled at him.

“Can I help you?” She asked.

Nico hesitantly nodded. “I'm looking for something for my sister.”

“That's so sweet!” Clara, what her nametag read, said. “Did you have anything in mind? We have a really nice selection of earrings, bracelets, necklaces, you name it, we have it.”

Nico stared down at the glass. It all seemed bland. “Can I just look?”

He walked around the display cases. Everything looked the same to him. And there was no guarantee that she would actually like anything that he got for her. He was looking down at a string of pearls that reminded him of what his mother used to wear to church when he saw them.

The earrings’ black details contrasted violently with the white of the casing. At first they looked like little black pearls, but with his nose so close it was almost smudging the glass, he could see that they were skulls.

“I'll take these!” He pointed. Clara walked over to him.

“...these?” She asked in confusion.

“Yeah! Is there something wrong with them?”

“No, no. It's just. I don't remember these being there. But I'll ring them up for you, do you want them wrapped?” He nodded and waited for her to hand him the bag. “Here you go,” she said. “Have a nice day!”

“Don't I pay here?”

She blinked, dazed. “What? Oh. No. It's already paid for. Right?”

“I guess,” Nico said, his eyebrows raised.

“Have a nice day!” She repeated before turning to another customer.

He walked away quickly. That was odd, but he couldn't say that a forgetful cashier had been the weirdest thing He had ever seen. He spotted Bianca flicking through racks of clothes. “Are you almost done?” He asked, coming up behind her.

“Nico!” She exclaimed, maneuvering something in her arm behind her. “That was fast. Um, no I need more time. Could you go look around for like twenty more minutes?”

“Sure,” he said in amusement. “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing,” she said forcefully, pushing him in the direction of the electronic section where dozens of people were swarming around. “Go get yourself something.”

“Okay,” he called over his shoulder. He walked through the aisles of the store looking absently at the items on the shelves for something that caught his eyes.

Nico was contemplating a toaster when he heard him. A man was speaking harshly into a phone, the anger in his voice showed that the only reason he wasn't yelling was because he was in public. His voice seemed oddly familiar, and Nico crept closer to the end of the aisle.

“-I told you! I'm positive this time! They're the ones. Their smell is like no other, they must be the ones Master was speaking of. I need an extraction team.” Nico’s head turned the corner and he bit back a gasp. Dr. Thorn. “Because! I think Chiron sent one of his own into the school. He must suspect too. We need to get them out before the winter solstice.” The headmaster huffed into the phone. “Just… Come when you can. This time is different, I can feel it.” The phone clicked off and Nico stood up quickly before he could turn the corner and ran.

“Bianca! Bianca!” He called out, uncaring if he looked like a lunatic. “Bianca!” He stretched himself to see if he could see her dark head of hair above the racks.

“Nico!” A hand grabbed his shoulder. “What's going on?”

“We gotta go,” he told his sister. “Now.”

“Why? What happened? Where's Dr. Thorn?”  

“No, no! You don't understand, Dr. Thorn is the problem,” he said tugging her towards the exit. “We have to go now and call Alec- Mrs. Dodds. We have to call Mrs. Dodds.”

He could tell that she was confused but the urgency in his voice must have convinced her that he was serious. They ran out of the store past the beeping doors and came out into the rest of the mall. Nico's eyes searched desperately for a pay phone.

Bless, he thought as he saw through the glass doors outside. He dragged his sister into the cold and looked at it in confusion and anger. “How do you use one of these?!”

Bianca glanced at the phone and furrowed her eyebrows. “I don't know. But Nico what happened?” He could see her puffs of breath in the air.

“Yes, Mr. di Angelo, what happened?” A voice came behind them and Nico’s heart stopped. It was him. “Did something upset you in there?”

The only thing he could hear was his blood pounding through his ears and his harsh breathing. What could he do? He could play it dumb and pretend it was a joke and hope he would believe him. Or he could confront him. Nico took a deep breath.

“I heard you, on the phone,” he accused. “I know you're not who you say you are.”

“Is that so?” Dr. Thorn stepped closer and Nico saw spikes protruding out of the monster’s back before he blinked and everything went back to normal. “I think you must be imagining things, Mr. di Angelo.”

“My brother wouldn't lie,” Bianca stepped in. “Get away from us or I'll scream so loud the security will come.”

“Such bravery, but it's misplaced. You see,” he reached into his pocket and Nico tensed. “No one will look for you, because there's nothing to look for.” In his hand he held what looked to be a perfume bottle, but green mist swirled inside violently.

He sprayed them in the face before Nico could even react. He wrinkled his nose at the feeling before he blinked and looked around.

Why were they outside? Had they really finished so quickly? “Is it time to go?” He asked the headmaster.

Dr. Thorn smiled and pocketed something. “Yes it is. It's time to go. I hope you enjoyed yourselves.”

“Oh yes,” said Bianca, rubbing at her eyes. “We had a lot of fun. Thank you for chaperoning.”

Nico frowned as they climbed into the car. He was forgetting something, he just knew it. It was on the tip of his tongue, an idea, a phrase… 

He felt unsettled as the buildings turned to houses and the houses turned to forest. It was on the tip of his tongue, he knew it…

A warning.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, no Percy and Hunters, but you know what? Next chapter for sure. Also: can anyone guess who Greg is? As always, if you liked it, please feel free to leave a comment or kudos! ❤❤❤ to all those who did last chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico fails trying to keep the world of Greek gods away from his sister when they are attacked by their headmaster and rescued by Percy Jackson and the Lady Artemis.

Nico sat up from his nightmare quickly, his harsh pants the only noise in his dorm. He reached back under his pillow and curled his hand around the business card Alec-Mrs. Dodds had given them. His eyes closed in thought.

What had he dreamt? Nothing good, he knew, if he had felt the need to call her. He slowed his breathing down and lied back. It was still dark out, but it seemed like his mind wouldn't take rest as an option. There was something important he was forgetting, he just knew it…

“Are you awake?” Whispered a voice above him.

“No,” Nico said.

“Shut up,” and while the words might have seemed mean, he could hear the smile in them. “Can't sleep?”

“Nope,” he sighed, staring up at the worn wood holding up the top bunk. He could see some scratches on them, initials from past boarders.

“Too excited I guess,” said Greg. “Same here. The dance is tomorrow, or today I guess. It's pretty late. Or is it early?” 

Nico frowned. “I don't know. Time makes my head hurt.” He jiggled his foot nervously. There was a jittery feeling in his stomach that wouldn't let him stay still.

“Are you and your sister going to the dance?”

“Oh yeah,” he picked at a loose thread in his bedding. “Bianca’s excited for it. Bought a dress and everything.”

“Really? How?” He heard the sheets rustle above him.

“We went to a store. Dr. Thorn took us.” He answered hesitantly. Greg’s tone of voice was odd. Almost worried, if he had to a name it. His roommate laughed forcefully.

“That must have been weird, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico said, looking at the moving shadows around the dorm. “Weird.” Both stayed silent for a while, but Nico could tell that his roommate wasn't asleep yet because of his breathing.

“Do you want to play Mythomagic?” He asked tentatively into the dark.

“Might as well,” Greg said. “I doubt we're gonna sleep.”

He jumped down from his bunk to the floor and pulled out the flashlight they used for nights like this from his desk. Nico reached for his cards underneath his bed. Greg had brought back a set of cards just for him, and Nico was only mildly embarrassed at the fact that he had started carrying them around everywhere, even in classes.

He knew that it was a game, that attack points weren't real, but he also knew that what it was based off of was genuine. And pretending it was all a game was better than accepting the truth.

They played until the dark blue of the sky lightened to its usual gray of clouds. Nico looked out the window. The grounds were covered in powdery snow, the kind that was turned to slush if you stayed in it too long, like just your presence threatened its existence.

“What are your plans for the holidays?” Nico asked as they got ready for the last day of the semester, the excited chatter of the other boys already filling the halls outside their dorm.

“Oh, not much,” Greg said, his voice muffled as he struggled to put on his blazer. “We're not religious, so there's not much to celebrate.”

“Really?” Even Nico could remember the beautiful Christmases his family had had. It had always been just the three of them, and his mother used to dig out his grandmother's recipes and prepare the food the day before, and in the morning, they would go to mass. Sometimes his school would even put on a play-

 “Yeah,” continued his roommate. “Christmas has just never really been our thing. No offense.” He added.

“None taken,” Nico muttered, tying up his shoelaces. He had long since begun to doubt his faith. There was only ever supposed to be one God, but he was living proof that-

He shook his head to clear those thoughts. They wouldn't do anyone any good. He slung his backpack over his shoulder. “I'm heading down to breakfast, I'll see you in class.”

Dodging other bodies in the halls had been a talent that Nico had been quick to pick up, moving through people like the ocean itself. He waited for his sister outside of the girls’ dormitories to walk down to the cafeteria with her. Bianca came out, her eyes searching. She grinned brightly at him.

“I was thinking,” she started, not even saying, _Good morning_. “We should exchange presents today.”

He squinted his eyes. “It's not Christmas yet. We can wait a few more days.”

“I know, but. I got something that I wanted you to wear to the dance tonight.”

“You got me clothes?” Nico sighed, and tried not to look at her, because he knew his resolve would crumble completely as soon as he did.

“Come on, Nico.” She poked his side. “We should do it today.”

“You don't even like dances,” he mumbled.

“Well, I like uniforms even less,” she countered. Nico put his head in his hands.

“Are you gonna give up?” He asked through his fingers.

“Nope.”

“Okay, then. I guess. But what'll we do for Christmas?”

Bianca ruffled his hair. “We'll figure it out, we always do.”

 

*.*.*.*

 

The wrapped gift felt heavy in his pocket, and doubt filled him. What if she didn't like them? What if she hated them? He knew she would pretend to like them for his sake, but after everything they'd been through together, he wanted to give her something that she loved.

He paced up and down the common room, where they had agreed to meet. His whole day had been filled with dread, in part because of the dance, and for the gift exchange.

“Hey,” came a voice behind him. “Sorry I'm late.”

Nico turned and smiled despite himself. Bianca was wearing the white dress she had bought herself, paired with her old green hat, and God. It had been a while since he had seen her dress the way she used to, back in Venice.

“You look beautiful,” he told her.

“Thank you.” She smiled warmly and shook the bag in her hands. “Are you ready to be amazed?” He pulled out the earrings from his pocket.

“That depends. Are you?” He handed them to her and watched her face closely as she carefully unwrapped the package.

Her eyes widened, and she laughed as she saw the two miniature skulls. “Do you like them?” He asked, mildly nervous.

She picked them up delicately in her hands and held them in front of her. The two dark beads made her skin look even paler in comparison. “I love them. Open up your presents. It's such a coincidence.”

“Presents?” He said, peeping into the bag. “How many did you get me?”

“Just two.” Nico frowned, that was more than what he had gotten her.

“I only got you that,” he gestured to her hands.

“I know, it's fine. Hurry up and open them. I want to see them on you.” She pushed the bag into his hands.

“Okay, okay,” Nico laughed, reaching in and pulling out a jacket. It had fur lining on the neck, reminding him of posters that he used to see in the streets of pilots in the war. “I love it,” he said softly. 

His hands went into the bag again and pulled out a small wrapped gift about the size of his palm. Not having the patience his sister had, he tore into the gift and opened the box underneath it. He picked up the ring and laughed.

“We match.” He said, putting on the dark skull ring and flashing out his hand in front of him. It looked too big and clunky to belong on his thin fingers, but as soon as he put it on, he felt a sense of familiarity.

“Put on your jacket, Nico.” Bianca said, pulling him to the doors. “Last day of term. Make it count.”

Walking into the gym was certainly an experience. It was decorated in balloons and twined ribbons. Off to a side, tables were set up with drinks and snacks. And while it might have looked different, the lingering smell of sweat and rubber remained.

Bianca set off on her own to find her friends, and Nico gravitated towards the drinks to grab himself something before he slinked off to a corner and avoid eye contact with anyone.

He watched the students lazily, looking for his roommate half-heartedly. In a corner, there was a group of boys playing basketball with crumbled napkins. Around the whole gym, there were different groups of girls going around and giving free makeovers to the lone wolves that didn't have anyone close by to protect them against the onslaught of preteen girls.

Nico tried his best to make himself smaller after witnessing a particularly gruesome attack. He shuffled his trading cards and sipped on his punch mildly. The jittery feeling in his stomach had traveled to his chest, but hadn't yet disappeared. It wasn't nervousness, or excitement, he knew that, but his nerves were lit up similarly.

“Greg!” he called out as he saw him out of nowhere, heading towards the gym doors. And while he didn't get his friend’s attention, he managed to get a group of girls around him in seconds.

At least a dozen different perfumes melded together and attacked his nose. Nico sputtered as someone tried to put lipstick on him, and he bunched his pants in his fists. He wouldn't hit a girl, his mother hadn't raised him that way. Didn't mean he didn't want to, though.

“Wait,” called out the apparent ringleader. “Leave him alone, he's Bianca’s brother.” There were groans of disappointment, and he was promptly pushed out of the circle.

He bumped into somebody roughly, knocking them both down. “Oh! Bianca! Are you okay?” he asked. “I'm sorry.”

“Yeah,” she said, rubbing her knee. “I was looking for you, actually.”

He held a hand to help her up. “Why?” Bianca looked around, her eyes looking almost afraid. He nudged her arm, questionably. “What happened?”

She swallowed thickly. “Ever since break,” she started, “I've been having these dreams. But it's so weird because when I wake up, I could've sworn that they weren't dreams at all, it was more like memor-”

“Is everything okay?” Dr. Thorn interrupted, and Nico stuffed down the urge to yell at him because he just knew that what Bianca had been about to tell him was important.

“We're fine,” his sister said. “And you?”

Dr. Thorn sighed. “Not so well, actually. You see-” He stopped suddenly and squinted. Nico turned to see what had gotten his attention, but a hand dug into his arm almost painfully. “We have to go,” the headmaster growled out, pulling them out of the gym.

Nico squirmed. “Let us go!” Bianca looked at him from his other side, her face clearly confused and more than a little scared.

“Shut up!” He tightened his grip, his nails sharp even through his layers of clothes. Nico could have sworn that he heard footsteps behind him, and he silently prayed that there was actually someone there that would help them.

Dr. Thorn threw them into the empty main entry hall. “Stay there, if you even so think of moving…” He didn't finish, but he didn't need to. In the middle of his sentence, his image shifted. Out of his tux grew spines like that of a porcupine’s, hanging off his back menacingly. Brown liquid dripped down the tip of them.

Bianca choked next to him, and Nico pinched his arm. Not again, he begged silently. Not again. They were supposed to be safe from all of that. Alecto had said, she had told him herself that as long as he didn't think of the past-

But.

But she had only said that his sister would die if he brought her back into the world. She had never said her world wouldn't find them.

Dr. Thorn stepped to a side of the door and seemed to be waiting. “Get behind me,” Nico said shaking.

“What?” Bianca breathed.

“Just,” he pushed her behind him. If anything happened to him, he would come back from it. But if anything happened to her… Well, he wasn't going to let that happen.

Footsteps thudded down the hall, and a boy, not much older than Bianca ran in, a golden sword held high in his hands. Nico froze.

“It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you,” he said, lowering his sword as if to show them that he was the good guy. Dr. Thorn crept up behind him, and Nico couldn't scream at the boy to turn around without giving anything away. “My name’s Percy. I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe.”

Nico widened his eyes as big as he could and tried to gesture with them. Percy tensed and spun in a fluid motion, but he wasn't quick enough to stop a spike that flew at him, grazing his shoulder. He cried out, and Nico tightened his grip on his sister behind him. “Nico, I'm scared,” she whispered into his ear. “What is all of this?”

“Just stay behind me,” he tried to assure her as Percy fell close to them. A second whoosh sounded, and a second spike implanted itself inches from his sister's face.

“Now,” Dr. Thorn said, hauling them up. “Follow me quietly and we won't have a problem. I'll show you just how accurate I can aim.”

He led them out the front doors of the school, where he had greeted them for the first time months ago. The cold wind hit them fiercely, blowing his jacket into his skin and Bianca’s dress up. They shuffled along an old concrete path that led into the woods. The boy, Percy, moved his feet slowly, and Nico didn't know if he was stalling, or if he was seriously injured.

Dr. Thorn growled at them. “Hurry up. The ride needs to be summoned.”

“Whoever you really a-are,” Bianca stuttered out, “you won't get a ransom. It's only me and N-Nico. No one will give you money.”

“Bianca,” he whispered. “Don't.” He swallowed a lump in his throat. How could he tell her that it wasn't that simple? How could he tell her that they weren't dealing with humans, with mortals? Percy met his eyes sadly.

Dr. Thorn laughed. “Money is not the issue here, you stupid, insolent girl! Greater things are at play here. Greater than what you could possibly understand.”

“Don't talk to her that way.” He murmured, almost just to himself. Bianca. He had to keep her safe. He had to get her away. Call Alecto somehow and get her to relocate them somewhere, again.

They came out into a clearing, the woods to one side, the ocean hammering into the cliff on the other side. Percy looked to the ocean hopefully, and Dr. Thorn smiled cruelly. “Ah yes. Jump now, why don't you, son of Poseidon?”

Nico froze. Son of...Poseidon? A demigod. Nico looked at Percy again and froze. His eyes were the exact same color of the man that had once killed him. His own father had told him, they couldn't be trusted. Other demigods would only bring pain and destruction to them, was what he had said. 

Dr. Thorn pulled out his phone and Nico’s heart leapt. All he had to do was get that, and he could save them. He almost couldn't hear the whispers of the son of Poseidon and his sister. “We've got to jump,” he heard him tell her.

“Leave her alone,” he hissed at him. Percy turned to him in confusion.

“I'm trying to help you,” he stressed. “This guy will kill you!”

“So will you!” Nico accused, stepping closer to his sister. The sound of helicopter blades came in the distance. Over the ocean was a yellow light, growing bigger and bigger.

“I'm the good guy-” A force knocked the three of them to the ground.

And everything erupted into chaos. Out of the woods flew a girl, holding a gruesome shield, and Greg, his image flickering between his usual self and an older, acne ridden teenager. Dr. Thorn seemed to be wrestling with something invisible on his back.

Nico lunged forward for the phone he dropped and pulled his sister closer to the woods. “Listen, Bianca. We need to go now.” She followed after him, but stopped.

“We can't. They're here for us, what if they get hurt, or k-killed.” A girl suddenly appeared on Dr. Thorn’s back, her blonde hair falling free from a blue baseball cap.

Percy and the girl holding a shield danced around the monster, stabbing at it, occasionally drawing blood. Greg, or whoever he was, came to them, shielding them with his arms that flickered back and forth from those of a child, and those of an almost adult.

A horn bellowed from the woods and girls, ranging in ages, flew out from the trees, bows in hand. While their youth might have made it comical to some, Nico just somehow knew that their souls were ancient, and that they were dangerous.

The Hunters stood poised with their bows, standing still as statues as they waited for the command to let loose. “Lady Artemis,” Greg breathed out in awe. A young girl, no older than Bianca raised her hand and the arrows flew.

Nico watched in horror as they hit their mark, taking down the monster, and the blonde girl with it, over the edge of the cliff. Her friends screamed out her name as she fell, and Nico thought to himself that she was dead for sure, there was no way she could survive the drop. But the helicopter over the ocean flew up over them, and he could see her hair through the window. They had gotten her, whoever they were.

“We have to go, now.” he said under his breath to Bianca.

“Nico,” his sister said accusingly. “No. They lost her because of us, we can't just go. Don't you want to know why? Or how? Or what everything was?”

In the background, he could hear them arguing. Wanting to rescue the girl, Annabeth. Percy’s voice was the loudest, the most demanding. Artemis was the calmest of them all, her age and her knowledge evident by the wisdom of her of words.

“They're dangerous,” Nico countered. “You'll get hurt, we'll get hurt. We have to go.” He had to get them somewhere far from here, then he had to call Alecto and have her fix this. She had said so herself, Bianca would be the one to pay in this world. He had to get her out of it.

“And if something like this happens again? What do we do then, Nico?” Bianca grabbed his shoulders and met his eyes evenly. “I don't know how to keep you safe from whatever this is. They're our best chance. We can't leave.”

“Your sister’s right, kid.” The girl with the shield came up to them. “It's dangerous for people like us out here. We'll set up camp for tonight, and then we'll go somewhere safe at dawn.”

“What are we?” Bianca asked, and it was like watching a train crash. Everything he had worked hard to keep away from her was suddenly right in front her. He put his head in his hands and exhaled deeply.

“We’re demigods,” Percy explained. “We have a mortal parent and a godly parent. That makes life a lot more difficult for us than regular people. There are monsters out there that hunt us down because of what we are. Dr. Thorn was one of them. Now, do you have any idea who your godly parent could be?”

“Demigods?” repeated Bianca skeptically. “No, both of our parents died in a car crash.”

They looked her disbelievingly. “They died in a car crash,” she said again, as if to convince herself. “Right, Nico? Tell them.”

He looked off to the horizon and kept silent. What lie could he tell her now, when they both knew the truth?

“Do you know something?” pushed Percy.

“Nico,” Bianca shook his shoulder. “What do you know?”

He blinked back the sudden onslaught of tears as he remembered the smell of charred flesh and the burnt remains of his mother. “Just mom,” he found himself whispering. “Just mom.”

“Mom’s… dead?” Bianca asked slowly. “Do you know who dad is?” Nico watched as the other demigods leaned in, and Nico remembered what his father had told him so long ago it felt like a dream.

_People like us, they fear us. As soon as they find out who I am, who your father is, you two will never find peace or happiness. That's what happened to your mother. They took her from me because they wanted to see me suffer. I do not wish the same fate for either of you-_

Nico shook his head forcefully and wiped at his face. “No, I have no idea,” he lied.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and for all the nice comments last chapter! I decided to include the aviator jacket and the skull ring a little earlier, but hey. If you guys wanted canon, you wouldn't be here. Next chapter, we'll see them in camp and Nico will finally meet Will. As always, if you liked it, please feel free to leave a comment or kudos, they always make my day! ❤❤❤


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico is finally taken to Camp Halfblood, only to find a person from his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, guess which blonde finally makes an appearance?

Camp for the night was set up in a manner of minutes, but everyone's nerves were strung far too tightly for anyone to actually consider resting. Nico sat numbly on a log as he half-heard the other demigods’ explanations of what camp was. To be honest, he didn't know what he was feeling.

It was nothing new to him, knowing the truth, but his sister was a different story. She was shocked in the right places, was confused at the gaps left in their words. And all he could do was stare at her in mourning. It was supposed to be his job to keep her safe, his job to keep her away from all this, and he had failed.

“Camp isn't the only option for girls,” he tuned in as Artemis addressed Bianca. “Come to my tent. I wish to speak with you.”

“No,” Nico said before she could answer.

“Nico, stop it,” his sister scolded before getting up to follow after the goddess. Her dress flounced around her knees with every damning step she took. Percy too, stood up and followed after them. He glared into his back.

“What's your problem kid?” Thalia asked. “We lost one of our own trying to get to you two and you're acting like this?”

He scowled. “Nobody asked for your help.”

Her electric blue eyes flashed dangerously. “Really starting to wish you were a little older now, just so I could…” The air around him zapped at his skin, sending shocks up his arm.

Frost started spreading rapidly across the logs they were on, licking the wood’s surface. He unclenched his fists, and the frost slowly receded back to the ground. His eyes widened. Had he caused that?

The same question seemed to be on their minds as they looked to him in new interest. Greg, or Grover as everyone else had started calling him, laughed weakly. “That's um...new. Nothing like this happened when we were rooming together.”

His eyes narrowed as he was reminded of the fact. Grover smiled pleadingly. “I'm sorry,” he started. “I'm a satyr, it's my job to find demigods like you.” His image still flickered between the boy he knew and a teenager. It made his head hurt trying to focus on one exact profile.

“What are you doing? With your body? You look different.” he settled on, instead of bursting out in anger like he wanted to.

“It's called the Mist,” Thalia said, snapping her fingers. Grover’s form stayed older. “It's what mortals perceive when they see our world. Kinda surprised you couldn't see through it.” 

Nico scowled. He didn't like her. Where her words were sharp and piercing, her tone was even more so. Grover eyed both of them nervously. “And I thought you and Percy were bad.”

“What?” They snapped at the same time then glared at each other.

“Anyways, would you like to hear more about camp?”

Nico shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. He doubted that what he actually wanted would change anything. His fingers brushed briefly against the Mythomagic cards he had been given, and anger flared up brightly in his chest before dying just as quick.

Maybe this was for the best, he thought. Really, how long could they have stayed in the real world? The way they had made it out, it was a miracle they had stayed undetected for as little as they did. It was for the best, he told himself. And Bianca wanted to go.

“How safe is your camp?” he asked finally, interrupting the silence that had taken over them.

Grover visibly perked up. “The safest. We have a boundary around the camp that protects us and shields our scent from monsters.” He went on to describe the stables, the training, the archery range and the cabins. “We have different cabins for the different Olympians, twelve in total.”

Nico furrowed his brows. “But there are way more than twelve gods.”

“If your parent doesn't have a cabin, you stay at the Hermes cabin.” Grover explained. That included them, Nico realized. His dad didn't have a cabin, he wasn't one of the main twelve, despite all that he ruled. “Let's just hope that you get claimed.”

“We will,” Nico said certainly. Thalia snorted. “We will.” he repeated forcefully.

“First thing you need to learn about the gods, kid,” she said standing up, “is that they don't give a shit about us. They're in it for themselves, not for us.” They watched her retreating form fade into the trees.

“She's just upset because of Annabeth,” Grover said. Nico looked at him doubtfully. “Okay, well, Annabeth was just the icing on the cake. There's a lot going on in our world right now. But,” he added frantically, “that doesn't mean you shouldn't stay with us. It's dangerous out here.”

They stared up at the falcons circling the camp for a while. The night was dark, and the air was cold, but oddly enough, Nico couldn't feel it. He looked up from the snow when he heard the crunch of footsteps head towards him.

A hunter, not much older than him, stopped at a distance from their log. Right. Boys were repulsive. “Lady Artemis,” she started, her voice sounding as if she couldn't believe she was actually addressing them, “has sent two of her hunters to retrieve your belongings from your dwelling. Is there anything you wish in particular?”

He felt like hitting himself. His backpack. How was he about to leave and forget what he had in there? “I'll go,” he said. He didn't want the Hunters to look through his few true possessions and figure it out. Who they were, where they were from. When they were born.

“Unnecessary,” the Hunter said, her face not changing in the slightest. Grover scrambled up. “What if I take him? As a-as a favor to Lady Artemis?”

“That would be of no favor to her,” she said. “Learn your place, satyr.”

She wasn't budging, Nico could see. “There's a brown backpack under my bed. Just that please.” She gave a sharp nod then sprinted off towards the school. “Wait! We didn't even give her the room number.”

“Trust me,” Grover said wistfully, staring after her. “They'll know. Artemis taught them everything they know.”

Nico nodded, mostly because he didn't quite know what to say. He lied down on the log and pretended he didn't notice when Grover suddenly had to move to one across from him. Just because he didn't lash out like he wanted to didn't mean he wasn't angry.

He tapped his fingers against his wrist. “Was any of it real?” he blurted out.

“What?” Grover turned to him.

“Were we ever even friends?” he clarified. “Or is this just what you do. Lie to kids then steal them away.”

“We're friends!” he exclaimed, his face almost disappointed. “Listen, just because I was on assignment doesn't mean I pretended to get along with you.”

Nico raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. “I'm serious!” continued Grover. “Some of the demigods I've encountered are a pain in the ass.”

“Language,” he chided with a ghost of a smile.

“Shut up,” he grinned back. “Am I forgiven?”

“I'll let you know when we get to camp.” he toyed with the end of his sleeve before asking, “Hey, and Mythomagic? Why even bother showing me that game if we get the real thing?”

“It's a new tactic, you could say. Like, you show the kid the game to get them used to the mythology, so when you tell them the truth, it's not so foreign.”

“Smart,” he relented.

“Yeah.”

“I still get to keep my set though, right?” Grover laughed before saying yes. They didn't speak anymore, and Nico thought that maybe they were both thinking about what they had lost that day. He looked down at his ring and marveled at the details once more. Bianca had really outdone herself, and so had he.

Thinking about Bianca, he frowned. She had been talking to Artemis for a while now. Just as he was working himself up to get up and go look for her, she stepped out of the main tent. Her face had nervousness written all over it, and Nico wondered if it was because of what Artemis had told her, or if it was because she felt uncomfortable about the whole demigod thing.

He sat up as she got closer to him. “I need to talk to you,” she said, wringing her hands. Bianca glanced at Grover. “Alone.” He tried to catch Nico’s eyes as he walked away, but Nico only had eyes for his sister.

“What happened?” he asked, not really wanting the answer.

“I-” she started. “Artemis asked me if I wanted to join the Hunters.”

A stone settled in his stomach, weighing down his body and making him slow. He blinked. “And what did you say.” It wasn't a question. He already knew. She was leaving him.

Bianca grabbed his shoulders tenderly. He shoved off her hands and scowled at her. “How could you? I thought you said we were a team.”

“Nico.” she said his name like it was a prayer. “I just- I love you, don't get me wrong, but there are things that I can learn from her that I can't learn from anywhere else. There are so many questions that I need answers to, and a goddess herself is willing to take me under her wing.”

“You're leaving me,” he said petulantly, well aware he was acting like a child, but unable to stop himself. She pulled him to her chest. Even on his tippy-toes his head would barely brush her chin.

“It's not a goodbye,” she murmured into his hair. “Artemis said I could visit camp to see you. We would still see each other pretty often.”

“And you want this?”

He felt her nod. “I do, Nico. I really, really do.”

He inhaled deeply. “Okay,” he whispered. Anger and betrayal churned at the bottom of his stomach, but he swallowed down the part of him that wanted to scream and destroy the stupid silver tents surrounding them. Bianca would be under protection with all of the Hunters. They were trained, they knew how to fight, how to kill.

He didn't.

Reluctantly, he peeled himself away from her. “I was afraid you would take that a lot worse,” she admitted.

“So was I.”

He couldn't keep her safe from anything, he told himself. He could barely even keep himself safe, and that was just a fluke of nature. She would be okay. They would both be okay.

 

*.*.*.*

 

The Hunter that had been sent to go retrieve their things had come back none too soon. The camp had been packed up as quickly as it had been set up, all in a manner of minutes.The air was still crisp and biting, leaving chapped lips and cracked skin, but the sky had begun to clear. The stars settled back into their pocket of time, looking over a different country now. And they were only waiting for the sun to make its appearance, it seemed.

Nico had said a quiet thank you to the Hunter that had handed him his old and worn bag. They were all gathered in the clearing now, looking off to the horizon for any peak of orange. “He's always so lazy during the winter,” Artemis looked annoyed, and Nico wondered if a god’s laziness was actually why the days of winter were always shorter.

Finally, a warm glow began to appear before them, shining so brightly he had to turn away before the light grew too painful. When the patches of color in his vision finally disappeared, he could see what had landed. 

A cherry red car was parked in the clearing, a circle of rapidly melting snow surrounding it. If he looked closely, he could almost see the waves of heat coming off of it. The driver stepped out of the car and flashed his brilliant white teeth at them. Nico froze.

How long had it been since he had seen that shade of blonde? That shape of nose? Those freckles splattered over high cheekbones? Will? He thought to himself.

But it was impossible for this boy to be the other. It had been less than a year, yet this one was clearly older. “Apollo,” called Lady Artemis sharply. “We've been waiting for quite a while. I should not need to remind you that time is of the essence.”

“C’mon sis!” Apollo crowed, taking off his sunglasses. His words were for his sister, but his eyes were on him. Blue, just like Will’s… Demigods… Nico’s eyes widened as the pieces connected inside of his head. Holy crap. Apollo winked at him.

Behind him, he heard the Hunters draw their bows. The lieutenant puffed up her chest, and Artemis turned furious. “Don't you dare lay your eyes upon my Hunters. They made a vow and it will not be broken by the likes of you!”

“Calm down, sheesh. It wasn't for them anyways. Now, you summoned me for a reason. What do ya need?” He leaned back against his car, and Thalia sighed behind him.

“Transportation to camp for my Hunters and the demigods. Think you can handle it?” she added disdainfully.

“Older brother to the rescue once more. Of course I can.”

Percy looked incredulously at the vehicle. “How are we gonna fit in there?” Apollo glanced down as if suddenly realising. “Ah, you make a good point, Jackson.” He reached into his pocket and a little chirp emerged from the car before transforming into a school bus. “This is so less cooler,” he said mournfully.

“Yes, yes,” Artemis agreed, pushing him in, and gesturing for them to follow his lead. They loaded in, and Nico could spot the top of his sister's head following the girls to back of the bus, as far as they could get from the boys without flinging themselves out the windows. The lieutenant stayed by the doors and looked at her leader. It felt odd to look at, a teenager taking orders from a child, so Nico looked away.

He was sharing a seat with Grover, and he took off his backpack carefully, mindful of not accidentally elbowing him. He didn't dare open it on board, but he felt around to check what was in there. He felt clothes, both soft and scratchy rub against his skin, he felt plastic, rubber. His fingers brushed against paper and he smiled to himself. It was there. His photograph was there.

“If I'm not back by winter solstice, I fear something ancient and dangerous is at hand,” he heard Artemis say before the doors to the bus clicked shut. Through the window, he could see her figure fade in between the trees of the forest.

Nico turned back to the god. Really, the resemblance was uncanny. He felt a bit unnerved. He didn't know how his powers were connected to Apollo’s son, or if it was normal at all, but something in his gut churned, telling him that his instinct was right. Nothing about it was common.

Apollo chuckled and reached over the grey seat to ruffle his hair. “You worry too much, kid. Things happen because they were destined too.” He could feel the other’s eyes on him, and he fought to keep his composure. “Now, who wants to drive?”

 

*.*.*.*

 

The ocean water was cold and unforgiving. Nico dragged himself out of it slowly, keeping his backpack above his head. At the shore, he turned back only to see that the bus was gone, the others still making their way out of the water. The Hunters were already dripping on land, looking equal parts relieved that Apollo was gone and angry that he had crashed in the first place.

“Come,” the lieutenant said sharply. “We shall get situated in our lady’s cabin.”

Grover was finishing up wicking the water off of him and stumbled over himself. “I can show you guys the way!”

The lieutenant’s lip curled. “I should think not, especially when the young di Angelo boy requires your guidance.” 

Percy clapped Grover’s back, his clothes somehow dry. “Just drop it bro. We got to get up to the Big House anyway.” Grover sighed. “You're right, but afterwards ladies. Is that good?”

The Hunters murmured things under their breath that made blood rush into Nico’s face. They grabbed their silver backpacks and marched their way up the beach and past his sight. He looked around in morbid curiosity. He already knew what he would find.

Even in the winter and light snowfall, he would recognize this place. The beach that ran perpendicular to the forest, and to his left, he could see the beginnings of buildings. It was here that he had come the first time he had…

Percy shook his shoulder, “Nico, can you hear me?” His insides froze and he pushed his hand off of him. Percy’s face fell, and there was a part of himself that felt guilty, that knew that this was not the same son as before, but he could not help the dread that knotted in his stomach.

He cleared his throat. “I can hear you just fine.”

“Listen, I have no idea what the hell I ever did to you, but the least you can do is be civil and cooperate, okay dude? I don't care if you hate my guts and want me dead, you need this camp as much as we need you.” Nico looked down at his feet then looked back up.

“Why would you need me? What could I possibly offer?” Percy and Grover exchanged a look, one that he couldn't decipher.

“It's a long story,” Grover settled on, “But we'll explain later. Right now we should probably get you up to the infirmary and make sure you don't get pneumonia.”

And now that he had mentioned it, he noticed the shivers that shook his bones, that the temperature of his damp clothes were no longer just cold but borderline freezing. “Okay,” he agreed.

“Grover’s gonna take you up there, I'm gonna head to the Big House,” Percy said, backing up.

“You know,” Grover started as they made their way around some of the largest buildings he had ever seen. “He's not a bad guy, he's one of the bravest people I've ever met.”

But just because people did things in the name of good didn't always mean that their actions were inherently good. He could name so many gods that were seen as heroes, but what they did to get such a status would never be seen as blessings to their victims. “I'm just saying,” he continued. “You just met him. He's not as bad as you think he is.”

In the distance, he could see figures playing basketball, some green blurs darting through the outskirts of the forest, and fire in the middle of an amphitheatre. “He just reminds me of someone,” he responded quietly. “I don't hate him.”

“Ah, some old bully?”

His mind went back to cobblestone-lined streets and murky canals. “You could say that.” Grover pointed to a single structure hidden slightly behind a house on a hill. “That's the infirmary. It's probably gonna be empty right now because it's not summer, so there aren't as many campers here.”

“I was wondering where everybody was.”

“It's mostly a summer camp,” he explained as they made their way to the front door. Its colors were blindingly white, almost blending in with the snowy background. “But there are some of us that stay the whole year if it's not safe to go anywhere else.”

Nico noticed there was a cheery sun in sunglasses hanging outside the door just as he entered. The inside of the infirmary was familiar. He ran his fingers atop one of the many beds lined up against a wall, then touched the scars on his stomach in memory. This was where he had bled out, just a few months ago.

God, had it really been so little time? It felt like eons had passed between then and now, the knowledge he had gained aging him years. “There should be someone around here,” Grover dragged out the last word, almost singing it. He clambered around a messy desk in the corner of the room and peered into an open door that was half-hidden between two bookshelves.

Nico hopped onto the bed and watched as his legs dangled embarrassingly high from the tiled floor. He had to admit, it was odd for him to be reminded of how young he was. And he wasn't even sure just how old he was physically, the decades spent at the hotel confused him.

Hooves clacked against the tile, and Nico looked up. “I'm gonna go check up on the Hunters, okay? When you're done here, just go up to the house on the hill. Percy’s already there.” And before he could even think of a response, the satyr was already outside, off to bother the girls.

Apprehension settled in his stomach. Would he see Will again? Here? Now?

“I'll be out right now, I just have to get a few things,” a voice called out from the storage room.

Nico froze. He clambered down from the bed and gripped his bag’s straps tightly as he booked it to the door. Metal clanged behind him just as he stepped outside.

“No, no no no! You're not getting away this time!” that same voice yelled. Nico didn't dare turn around. He knew what he would find.

Panic had flooded his systems, and logically he knew he shouldn't run. How long would he be able to avoid him for if he stayed at camp? And if he left, where would he go? But he didn't want to listen to logic, so he pumped his legs faster until they burned and screamed at him to stop.

A body tackled him to the ground, and Nico struggled against the hands turning him around, but he wasn't big, he wasn't strong, and he didn't know how to fight. He couldn't have stopped him.

“It's you,” Will breathed out on top of him. Nico stopped squirming and let his body go slack.

He nodded.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait, but I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I always thought that a Nico/Grover friendship was a lost opportunity cuz in the books they go to the same school for months. As y'all can see, I'm gonna allude to some of the events that happened in the books, but not actually write them out. Next chapter, Nico and Will talk it out and have more questions than answers. If you guys liked it, please feel free to leave comments or kudos! ❤❤❤❤


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi

Time seemed to slow down as Nico stared into Will’s searching eyes. The snow bled into his clothes, the coldness settled into his back.  “You're here,” Will breathed out, his words appearing as smoke in the brisk air. “You're actually here, and you're not dying. Nobody believed me, but you're here.”

“Yeah,” Nico said, unable to stop the rush of emotions flooding through him.

“I have a lot of questions.” 

“So do I.” He said simply, at a loss for words. 

“Grover brought you in, didn't he? I should get you in the infirmary, get you warm and dry. We'll talk in there,” Will stood up and offered him a hand. Nico took it gently, still not one hundred percent believing that he was real. 

The moment felt important, like they were on the brink of something, some revelation, but none came. They walked sluggishly through the snow. Nico was painfully aware of his body, and kept his arms by his side so as to not hit the blonde beside him. The blonde that he had seen every single time he had died.  _ I have a lot of questions, _ Will had said. And as for him, well. Nico was afraid he didn't have any answers to offer. 

 

*.*.*.* 

 

In the infirmary, the warmth bit at his fingers, more painful than he remembered it being. Will had him sit down on a bed, his feet dragging against the floor, unlike the last time he had been here. He watched Will pick up what he had dropped, then return to the supply closet. 

“So you're a demigod,” Will started, his voice carrying out. It echoed slightly in the emptiness of the building. 

“Y-yeah, I guess.” Truth is, that fact hadn't truly settled in yet. So far, being a demigod meant certain death. But here he was in a camp of demigods, where they were alive, so what did it mean to be a demigod? What did it mean to have a godly parent?

“You know I thought for sure you were a spirit at first you know. You just appeared out of nowhere, drenched, speaking whatever language you were speaking. And you left as fast as you appeared.” Will approached him with a tray in hand. “Here, have this.” 

He placed a small golden square in Nico’s hand. He picked it up curiously, but didn't eat it. “This doesn't look like medicine.” 

“That's because it's not. Well, not in the way you think it is, it's more like magic. Just eat it. You'll see what I mean.” Under his careful eyes, Nico raised the square to his mouth and slowly chewed it. 

It was like an ember was lit inside him. Warmth spread from the tips of his toes to his scalp, and he felt energized in a way that he hadn't in months, or years, he didn't quite know what term to use. But most shocking of all was the taste left behind on his tongue. He blinked back tears. 

Will smiled softly, like he knew. “What did it taste like?” 

“Like my mother’s lasagna,” he swirled his tongue in his mouth, trying to savor it. “I never thought I would taste it again, how?” 

“It’s called ambrosia, it's the food of the gods. It supposedly tastes like our favorite memory, guess we know what yours is. Are you feeling better? You look better, a bit less ghostly.” Nico nodded. “Here you go,” Will said, handing him a folded sweatshirt, in the same god-awful orange as his own t-shirt, on top of a dry pair of jeans. “And here's a plastic bag for your clothes.” 

Their hands brushed slightly, and goosebumps raised on his arms, his hairs prickling and rising. “I'll step outside,” Will said, shaking off his arm as though he had felt it too. Nico watched as he retreated to the supply room.

He waited a moment, to make sure that Will was busy sorting things before he tried to slip his shirt off, only to realize his backpack was still on. Oh god, he thought, taking it off frantically. His picture, the only one he had left of his family, it must have been soaked from the snow outside. He reached his hand inside, and ran the wrinkled picture between his thumb and finger. 

It was dry. Inexplicably so. The outside of his backpack was wet, but the inside was fine. He was puzzled but relieved. He thought of his dad in that instance, and silently thanked him. He dressed quickly, wrapping his wet clothes in the plastic bag before placing them inside his backpack. 

“I'm dressed,” he called out to Will.  “Grover said something about a big house?” He toed closer to the desk in front of the supply room. Will came out and grimaced. 

“I thought those would fit better,” he gestured towards him. Nico looked down at himself. The pants sagged in odd places, and his sleeves hung down beyond his wrists, but he felt better than he did before.

“I don't really care,” Nico said. “We should get going.” 

“Yeah, we should. They must be waiting for you.” Will led him out and up the hill. Just as they were about to enter the house, Will paused with his hand on the doorknob. “I'll wait out here for you, to show you around once you're done. Okay?” He nodded in response. He breathed in and opened the door. 

 

*.*.*.* 

  
  


The first thing he noticed was the giant man that took up a good portion of the room. That man also just so happened to be half-horse. The being was facing Percy, and they seemed to be in a heated argurment. In the corner, a man in a leopard print button-up sipped a Pepsi and watched him enter with acute disinterest. Behind Nico, Will cleared his throat loudly over their raised voices. 

Percy was the first to stop and stared pointedly at the centaur. “He's here.” They both turned toward him. 

“Mr. di Angelo, please come in,” the centaur gestured. Nico hovered, unsure, but Will pushed into his back, sending him a few steps forward. The centaur laughed, “Thank you Mr. Solace for your assistance, you can leave now.” 

Nico didn't turn back, but he heard the door  _ click _ shut, and he felt Will’s absence. “We'd like to welcome you to Camp Halfblood, Nico. My name is Chiron, and you've already met Percy here,” the centaur, Chiron apparently, continued. “I imagine you must have a lot of questions for us, but I have to ask you to save them to the end. Follow me, please.” He started to trot down a hallway. Nico fell into step with Percy behind him. The older boy looked angry, his eyes cold and sharp and fixed on Chiron. He imagined that they must have been arguing about the girl that had fallen. 

Nico toyed with his ring, guilty. That girl had fallen because of him and Bianca.  _ For  _ him and Bianca, and they didn't even know her. But then again, they hadn't asked for help. And now that he started thinking, well… 

“How long?” Nico asked. 

Chiron hummed in question as he opened the door to a dark room and flipped on the light switch. The smell of mildew and dust reached his nose and he wrinkled it involuntarily. 

“How long have you people been following me and my sister? Greg-Grover, he was at Westover for months before we got there. You knew somehow. What is this? A trap?” Panic rose inside him. Stupid stupid stupid. He should have known better, he shouldn't have trusted them. He was stuck between a centaur and a son of Poseidon. He knew from experience the former was deadly, and he wasn't curious to find out about the latter, but he would if he had to. Oh god, and his sister was somewhere on the other side of camp. They must have cornered her too, or-

The light above them flickered, and the temperature steadily dropped a few degrees. “Nico, you need to calm down,” Chiron said, “control yourself please. I will explain everything, sit down.” He eyed Percy and Chiron, untrusting. Grudgingly, he sat down. A cloud of dust emerged. 

“Explain.” He demanded. 

“We were tipped off months ago that a pair of powerful siblings would be going to Westover, so we sent Mr. Underwood to be on the lookout for them. Just when we thought it was fake, you and your sister showed up.” 

“And what, you stalk every demigod?” 

“They stalked me,” Percy offered. “Chiron was a teacher at my school for months, but I was a different case than most.” 

“Yes you were,” Chiron said exasperated but with fondness in his tone. “And so were you Mr. di Angelo. Typically we have satyrs scout for demigods and then bring them in, but you and your sister weren't showing any signs of seeing beyond the Mist or any displays of power, so we had to wait and see. And then Grover discovered that the monster disguised as a principal had plans to abduct you, and we knew for certain.” 

Nico nodded slowly. “Ok, I believe you.” 

“Thank you for that Mr. di Angelo, now we have an orientation video we show all new campers, if you will.” The lights dimmed and a film started up. 

_ “So you're a demigod!”  _ a grainy voice surrounded him.  _ “Welcome to Camp Halfblood, a place where you will…”  _

 

*.*.*.* 

 

Chiron dismissed him after the video was over, he had a feeling that he and Percy were going to discuss a lot once he was gone. He made his way out of the house just as cautiously as he had entered it, closing the door softly behind him. A head of blonde hair perked up from leaning against a stair railing. Nico sat on the porch steps with Will, who looked down at his hands. 

“You're his son, aren't you?” Will asked his eyes holding steady with the skull ring on his finger. Nico shoved his hands in his pockets, his heart beating a rhythm into his ribs. “I was thinking more about it when you were in there. It makes sense. Why they waited months and months for you and your sister, all that has happened between you and me.” 

“What are you going to do about it? Who are you telling?” 

Will looked hurt, his eyebrows twisting together, his eyes wide and earnest. “No one. You can trust me, you know that.” 

“We don't even know each other. I can't trust a stranger, not with the biggest secret of my life. Listen,” Nico hissed. “You can't tell anyone.” 

“You're right, we don't know each other, gods, I don't even know your first name, but it feels like I know you. And I feel responsible for you. I've felt you die in my hands twice now. If you don't want me to say anything, then I won't. When I say you can trust me, I mean it di Angelo.” Nico felt silent at that. In his guts he knew that Will was being nothing but honest. He felt what he felt. Like he knew him. It was the oddest thing. As though when he had died, he was being led back to him, to Will. 

“My dad said it was dangerous for us. My sister and I. He said people would hate us, and be afraid of us because of him.” Nico whispered into the air. He stared forward, where at the bottom of the hill grew a pine tree dusted in snow. 

“Hey,” he nudged him. “Does this look like a face capable of hate?” Nico looked at his freckled face, rosy cheeks and bright smile. No. No, it didn't. 

“Nico.” 

“What?” 

“That's my name. Nico di Angelo.” 

Will’s smile grew impossibly huge, and Nico looked away for fear of being blinded. Arms wrapped around him tightly, and Will leaned into him to say into his ear, “It's nice to meet you Nico di Angelo.” 

Nico laughed. Despite his exhaustion, despite his hunger, his anger at his sister leaving him, the circumstances that had brought him here, despite the questions he still had, he laughed. “It's nice to meet you too, Will Solace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im back bitches


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and will talk some more, tbh mostly a filler chapter. I'm hoping some shit goes down next one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will finna back it up for the Stoll brothers 

As biting as the air was, Nico stopped noticing it about halfway through his tour. For the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful. And perhaps he was just being idealistic, but he could truly imagine himself here. He could imagine himself learning how to sword fight, riding on the pegasus Will had described, playing capture the flag. He could imagine Bianca visiting once a month and being so surprised at all he could do. He imagined her growing into a Huntress, as deadly as frostbite. Her face unchanged, but her eyes older and heavier with the years. 

He strummed lightly on his bag’s straps against his chest. “I wouldn't let my sight off of that if I were you.” Will commented. 

His fingers stopped. “Why not?” 

Will nodded towards the largest cabin ahead of them. “You're gonna be with the Hermes kids. Their dad is the God of thieves, amongst other things. Let's just say all his children are a bit loose with their hands.” 

“Got it. So the children of the God of thieves are thieves. Understandable.” 

Will laughed, his nose scrunching up. “They're not that bad, once you get past the pranks most of them pull.” 

“So, does that mean all demigods get some of their parent’s powers?” Wheels were slowly turning in his head. If the answer was yes, then that would explain why he would always...come back from his episodes. Because he was his father's son. But his father was more than just the God of the Underworld, what else was Nico capable of? 

“Yeah some of them, but not all of them. And it's different from sibling to sibling. Let's say a god has two children. Both his children will have some powers or characteristics that are similar, but they're not carbon copies of each other.” 

He nodded. “Is that why you're in the infirmary a lot, because you're good at healing? Is that the power you got from Apollo?” 

Wrinkles appeared on Will’s forehead. “Yeah, actually. One of my gifts is healing. I can sense if a person is hurt and how they're hurt, and I can heal them with hymns. How'd you know that Apollo is my father?” 

“You look a lot like him.” 

“You've met him?” Will asked incredulously, eyebrows raised. 

“He dropped us off here. Why?” 

His mouth settled into a pressed line and what seemed to be anger made his face tight. Nico eyed him with vague curiosity but kept silent.  “Because, I've never met my father face to face,” Will said, avoiding eye contact. He stared straight ahead resolutely at a large marble structure. “And apparently he was just here at camp and he didn't bother to check in on me.” 

Nico’s hand hovered hesitantly. Was it his place to console him? Perhaps not, but he was breaking down in front of him, not anyone else. He let his hand fall on his shoulder. “I'm sorry.” He offered. 

“No don't be. I get it, you know? He has dozens of other children and he can't spend time with all of us, but he can't also show favoritism. And he comes talk in my dreams often, but I've never been face to face with him, or hugged him and… I'm sorry Nico. I'm rambling and it feels like we know each other but we really only met like an hour ago and I'm still unloading all of my problems on you I'm sorry.” He finished speaking with a hint of embarrassment in his tone and wet cheeks. 

“It's fine, I kind of get what you mean. I miss my dad too sometimes. My mom the most though. It's weird not knowing when or if I'll ever see them again. And now that my sister joined the Hunters, it kind of feels like I'm on my own,” Nico admitted. Will gave him a soft, appreciative smile and wiped at his face. 

“Thanks. Nice to know you also have daddy issues. Ahh are you hungry? I think we're not too late for breakfast.” The change in subject came swiftly and efficiently. At the mention of food, Nico realized how hungry and tired he was. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off. He had been awake for over 24 hours, having stayed up all night out of weariness of his and Bianca’s saviors and his stomach grumbled as a reminder. “I'll take that as a yes?” Will joked before leading him towards a wafting scent of eggs, bacon and hash browns. 

 

*.*.*.* 

 

“And then you just slide it in. Like this.” He demonstrated, pushing food off of his plate into the flames. “To give thanks to the gods of your choice.” 

He nodded and slid in a portion of his eggs.  _ Dad, if you're listening, Bianca and I are safe and we're at camp. Don't worry. Hermes, thank you for letting me stay in your cabin,  _ he thought. Or was it praying, technically, since they were gods? 

“Good?” asked Will. “Follow me, I'll introduce you to the Stoll brothers.” They walked past through tables, all varying in size with symbols carved in their sides. Bianca was sitting at a long table with the Hunters, a glowing symbol of the moon and arrows at the side of it, her hand in another girl’s. She caught his eye and gave a bright smile before going back to the arm wrestling. If he was even the slightest bit upset before, the lingering feelings of abandonment subsided. There was something about the way she was carrying herself. She looked lighter, happier. Free. That was where she belonged, he had no doubt. 

“They're the heads of the Cabin since they're the oldest,” he continued. “It takes a while to get used to them but they're cool once you know them.” 

“Oh, stop it Will I'm gonna blush!” a voice called out. 

Another joined in, “Vagabonds with hearts of gold, you could write your own romance novels with such poetic words!” It didn't take long before Nico located where the voices were coming from. They were the largest table there, filled with two dozen or so campers. Two brunette boys sat together, with identical mischievous smiles directed at Will, whose cheeks flushed slightly with red at the attention.

“Travis, Connor, this is Nico. He'll be joining the Hermes cabin for now.”  

“Nice to see a new face, welcome home kid.” The one on the left said. Something inside him knew that he was the oldest of the brothers, that his soul had just a little more time spent on the earth. 

“Sit down,” said the other one. As Nico joined them, he added, “You can go now  _ Doc _ . He's in good hands.” 

Will raised his eyebrows but didn't address them. “Meet me in the infirmary after you settle in, ok?” He laid his hand on Nico’s shoulder, the weight a reminder that they had much more to discuss. 

He nodded and watched as Will walked away to join his brothers and sisters. “You came at a good time,” Travis commented. “Since it's winter there aren't as many people in our cabin like in summer.” 

“You might even get a bed,” Connor remarked, “instead of just a sleeping bag in the corner.” Nico stayed silent and chewed thoughtfully. A bed sounded nice. Sleep sounded nice. Rest in general sounded  _ really _ nice. 

The overlapping conversations and voices in the dining pavilion lulled him into a passive state, where he stared blankly ahead at where Chiron was eating, eyes half open. Hooves stomped against the marble floor, sending reverberations throughout the building. Nico sat up quickly. He blinked sluggishly. 

“As you all know, we have guests here with us today.” Chiron gestured to where the Hunters were sitting. Behind him, Grover and other satyrs whooped, quickly earning dirty looks and sneers. “To celebrate their arrival, we shall have a friendly game of capture the flag this evening. Remember, no intentional maming or killing. That will result in an immediate disqualification for your team.” Excited, hushed whispers sprang up throughout the hall. Chiron looked around, stopping when his eyes fell on him. “That is all,” he concluded. 

The whispers erupted and turned into a  deafening roar. Cabins were calling dibs on other cabins. And over on the other side of the pavilion, a large muscular girl looked like she was about to lunge towards a smaller mousy boy. The Stoll brothers both had smug smiles on their faces as they looked on. 

Connor nudged him. “Good thing you joined us. Hermes cabin always gets chosen first.” 

“Why?” Nico asked through a mouthful of bacon. 

“Strength in numbers or something like that.” Travis replied. “Every team always wants us on their side because we're the biggest cabin. You almost done there? We need to get you settled in and then go see which team wants us bad enough to take over our dish duty.” 

Nico looked down at his plate mournfully. He still had a little one slice of bacon and one waffle to go. “Yeah I'm done.” He sighed, pushing his plate away from him and stood to follow. 

 

*.*.*.*

 

The mattress beneath him sank with his weight. According to the brothers, this bed had been unoccupied for a while. They had given it to him with identical reminiscent looks, and well. He didn't particularly feel like asking the story behind it. The cabin was mostly empty, as the whole camp was abuzz with preparations for the upcoming game. He laid back and closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. There were scratches carved into the back of the bunk bed above him. 

Crudely drawn symbols of rivers, serpents and lightning were littered throughout. He traced them with his fingers cautiously, as if they held answers, but they gave none. He huffed. There he went again. Looking for a flaw anywhere and everywhere. Typical. He needed for the camp to work. He needed it to be a home. 

_ And it will be _ , he imagined Bianca saying.  _ You just need to stop self-sabotaging.  _

With only a few bones in his back cracking, he sat up determined. He was going to make this work. He was going to fit in. Make friends. Get rid of the dark cloud permanently hanging over him. He was going to go finish talking to Will. 

It was with this mindset that he entered the infirmary, shaking the snow off his shoes before he entered. “Will,” he whispered. The blonde jerked at his desk, papers fluttering to the ground. 

Will dropped to the ground with them scrambling to pick them up. “Nico!” He exclaimed. “Why were you whispering?” 

“I didn't want to startle you.” He grimaced and hovered by the door, making no move to help. “I imagine you still want to talk.” Will stood up, kicking the papers under his desk.

“Of course I want to talk! There are still a lot of questions I have. A lot of things we need to figure out.” Nico blinked. He said  _ we.  _

“Yeah, okay. I won't be able to answer everything though.” 

“I know,” Will replied. “I'm just...curious.”  

Nico took a seat on one of the beds. “About what?” Will pushed his desk chair until he was right in front of him, looking up at where he was perched and clicked his pen, tapping it along the side of a clipboard in his left hand. “You made a list,” he noted. 

A sheepish look appeared on his face. “Yeah, I had to write them down before I forgot. I just- I want to be thorough.” He said, and fell silent for a while.

Nico realized with a start that he was waiting for him to speak. “What do you want to know?” 

“Okay, so the first time we...met, how did it happen, exactly? If you feel comfortable sharing. You don't have to tell me every detail.” 

He wasn't. “I drowned.”  _ In Venice...in 1942.  _ “I blinked and I was suddenly on a beach. And you were there.”  He hadn't thought about the events that had transpired that day in a long time. That day displaced his life. Moved him forward more than 70 years. 

“And the second time?” 

“It was a monster that found me and my sister. I got...here I'll just show you.” Nico lifted up his sweatshirt to reveal the scars on his stomach. The skin was odd looking. Pale and slightly raised, with the queerest texture. He would be lying if he said he never ran his fingers over it at night before falling asleep. 

“C-can I?” Will stretched out his arm. He nodded, and a swooping sensation hit his guts when he felt his warm fingers against his scars. “This was when you appeared in here,” Will murmured. “My brothers thought I was crazy, but you remember it too. I don't think anyone else can see you. I think it's just me. But why?” 

“I don't know that Will. This is just as weird to me as it is to you.” He admitted quietly.  

“I know.” Will’s leg jittered. “You look dead on your feet. I should probably stop with the questions so you can get some sleep.”

“I don't mind the questions, but I am tired.” He hopped off the bed. “I'm gonna head back to the cabin,” he pointed behind him towards the door. 

“You could sleep here, if you want.” Will offered. “I'm not sure if you'd prefer this to a cabin full of demigods. I'll be in here and I'd wake you up for lunch, or-or dinner.” 

A side of his lips twitched up. “Thanks.” He went back to the bed and slid his backpack underneath his pillow, his head hitting it soon after. He was too aware of the fact that there was somebody else in the room with him, and his body was stiff with the fact. 

Eventually, his breathing evened out and he fell into sleep the way one does: blissfully unaware of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all know when I write fan fiction I don't read it for the fandom I'm writing it for because I don't want to subconsciously incorporate ideas from another work into mine. I HAVENT READ FAN FICTION FOR PJO IN ALMOST TWO YEARS AND I MISS IT. I JUST WANT TO FINISH THIS FIC AND LIVE MY LIFE HAPPY BUT NOOOO I HAD TO BE A SLOW ASS WRITER


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico falls asleep and see a someone he never thought he would see again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, it's me again after two months of not posting or writing

Sunlight filtered in through the two windows in his living room, feeling like a warm blanket against his skin. He groaned, and threw his head back on the couch. “Mom!” He whined. “Do I _have_ to do my homework before I go to Pietro’s house?”

He could hear the clang of metal against metal coming from the kitchen, and his mother peeked out, eyebrows raised high. “How about you just don't go at all? You know your father's coming for dinner tonight, you shouldn't be putting your friends before your family.” Her words had logic, some part of him knew that and acknowledged it, but he still grumbled a comeback underneath his breath.

“What was that?” She asked sharply. He wisely stayed silent. “Thought so. Go fetch your sister from upstairs and both of you come help me, he'll be here any second.”

He stomped up the stairs, a bit more forceful than necessary just to get across the fact that he was upset, but not loud enough that his mother would chase him with a spoon in hand. “Bianca, mom said to help her.”

“I heard,” his sister replied, sliding off her bed and bounding down the stairs after him. He set the table, two plates across two plates, while Bianca tossed a salad.

“Nico,” his mother pointed, “get down three wine glasses and a cup.”

“Why three?”

“One each for your father, your sister and I.” Nico’s arm paused in the cabinet and turned around in disbelief.

“Bianca gets wine? Why don't I get any, that's not fair.” His mother stopped washing the pan in the sink.

“I'll remind you that Bianca has done her communion and is in the middle of doing her confirmation. You have done neither. So yes, Bianca gets wine, and you get to serve yourself apple juice.”

He side-eyed his sister with a frown settling on his mouth. Bianca gave him a smug look and raised her eyebrows, as if to say, _Well, what can I do?_ Nico set the glasses by the plates, and looked up sharply when a knock came from outside.

“He's here!” His mother exclaimed with wide, frantic eyes. “Take out the drinks and food and set it on table,” she instructed as she adjusted her hair and her dress on the way to the door. He opened up their ice chest as Bianca opened the oven. He could hear his mom greeting his dad as she always did, with both joy and longing in her voice. And he heard his father’s voice, a low, smooth rumble of familiarity that sent a rush of affection through him.

It had been a while since his father had come to visit. Most often he claimed it was business and work that held him back, and while Nico understood, the hole in their family did not go unnoticed when his father stayed away for so long. His mother’s spirits were never as high as they were when his dad was around.

Their situation was an odd one, he knew. In their neighborhood, there were various nosy women that had gossip and rumors always about their lips. Why did they not live with his father? Why were his visits always only a few days, if not hours? If his parents were separated, why did his mom not look for a new husband? Speculation ran wild, and Nico had heard the wildest things. But he never paid mind to them. He knew what they were, they were a family, no matter how unconventional.

Nico stepped out of the kitchen and greeted his father with a tight hug. His father ruffled his hair and commented, “You're getting so much taller! Every time I visit, you keep on getting closer and closer to my height!” Bianca followed suit and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Dad, you say that every time you come. Nico’s still shorter than me!”

His father wrapped an arm around his mother’s waist. She leaned in and remarked, “But he won't always be. Come, let's eat. The food is warm.”

As usual, they said grace before eating. Sometimes, Nico didn't see the point, but he knew the words by heart anyway. He split his arancini in half with his fork and closed his eyes in delight. “It's delicious, Maria,” his father said before he could. “Truly, your food only gets more spectacular every day. Thank you.”

His mom glowed under the praise. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is the one that gives us what we need.” She said it like an old, familiar line between them, an inside joke. His father smiled at her, clearly understanding.

“Speaking of receiving what we need, I brought gifts.” He set down his fork, reached into his jacket and pulled out two tiny jewelry boxes. “I hope you two like them.” His mother eyed the boxes with curiosity as did he and his sister.

“Can we open them now mom?” Bianca asked. She nodded and Nico was suddenly handed a box. The velvet cover felt smooth against the pads of his fingers, as he flipped the cover open. Inside, there was a dark, skull shaped ring.

A foreboding feeling rose high and mighty in his stomach, almost choking him. He looked around and it was as if he was seeing everything for the first time. The colors were too saturated, the food in front of him had no smell. Beyond his front garden outside the window there was nothing but oblivion, like a painting that had been left unfinished. And suddenly, he realized. This wasn't his life. Because his mother was dead, his sister had left to join the Hunters and his father was Hades. He was dreaming.

His father snapped his fingers, and it was as though time stood still. His mother and Bianca were frozen in their seats, admiring the earrings Bianca had received. “Nico,” his father said his name urgently. “What did Alecto do? How did she make you remember?”

“W-what? Dad, what's happening?” He tried to add fear into his voice. Maybe, if he pretended-

“Don't play with me. You know. You remember your old life.”

“I-”

“I said tell me _how_ Nico! You stupid, insolent boy. Did you think I took your memories for fun? I did it to protect you and your sister. Now what did she do to you?”

“Nothing! She didn't do anything! She couldn't take them away in the first place.” He admitted. He gripped his left arm tightly and stared down at the table.

“Did you not bathe in the river?”

“I did but it didn't work. She said not to tell anyone.”

Silence. He glanced up. The look on his father's face was one he would never forget, Nico thought in that moment. He tried to recognize the emotions passing through his face. Shock, anger, but also...fear. And that fear on his father's face scared him the most. “Dad?”

“That bitch,” Hades muttered under his breath, and reached out to lay a hand on his arm. “I'm sorry, Nico.”

“For what?”

“You've been chosen to bear one of the hardest curses my children could ever suffer. And for that I'm sorry.” Nico laid one hand over his father's.

“Don't apologize for being my dad, that's not a bad thing.” Hades gave him a sad smile.

“Perhaps not, but to be my child is to know a life full of pain and loneliness, and for that I apologize. I should have stopped seeing your mother after Bianca was born, but I didn't. I think this is Fate’s way of retaliation by giving you the curse of death.”

It didn't seem like a curse to him, however. His deaths were short-lived and he always returned from them in one piece. He voiced these thoughts aloud. To which his father responded, “Do you remember what your mother used to say about the devil and angels?”

Of course he did. How could he forget the all the Sunday morning masses, all the Catholic school, all the nights they would get tucked and pray that no evil would come to them at night when the sun fell? “Fear the devil not for his evil, but for his beauty, for he was once an angel in heaven, and now resides in hell.” He whispered.

“Exactly.” Hades said, looking out the window into the nothingness that surrounded them. “This curse, it seems more of a blessing than anything else at first until it's not. No mortal or demigod is meant to come back from the dead, Nico. It's unnatural. For your soul to spend any time at all on the other side, it does things to it. I'm just warning you to trail on the side of caution. I've seen your brothers fall to the seduction of being greater than life itself.” Nico hadn't considered the fact that he had other siblings. But his dad was millenniums old, and granted they were all dead, but still. They were technically his family. The look in his father's eyes made a part of him wonder how many of his siblings had fallen victim to the curse’s madness. But a larger part didn't want to know.

“Okay,” he responded, because it seemed like that's what his dad wanted to hear. “But why does this curse even exist?”

Hades glanced to his mother, still frozen in her seat. “There's a whole story that I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say.” Outside there was a monstrous rumble of thunder that sent vibrations through his very bones, and Nico looked out the window, startled. Clouds were beginning to form and he knew it was not his or his dad's doing. They turned towards each other, fear making his pulse flutter.

“He's found me.” Hades said. “I must go before he realizes who you are. Nico wake up.”

“What?” It was like there was a filter over his ears that muffled every sound.

“Wake up! Nico, wake up!” Hades yelled frantically as the house started to tremble. Dust flew in small clouds from the ceiling, and the pots clanked together in the cupboards.

A phantom hand grabbed his shoulder, but there was no one behind him. It pulled at him, so hard that Nico thought his shoulder might pop. The kitchen and its peach colored walls faded into darkness around him until he was no longer there in his dream, but just surrounded by emptiness. An foreboding feeling arose within his chest. What if that being his father feared had found them? And this is what it brought, nothingness and destruction?

The phantom hand returned to his shoulder again and shook him. “Wake up, Nico,” a voice echoed around him, one that was not his father's. He knew that voice, he thought blearily and tried to swim towards it, but that proved difficult, as he was neither standing or floating, but rather just existing. The words repeated and abruptly he was jolted from his dream state.

He was in the infirmary again and he couldn't breathe.

Nico’s chest heaved as he tried to force air to enter his lungs. Will swam into his vision, a blur of blonde and orange before him. He was talking, he thought, but he couldn't register the words. His ears were ringing something awful, drowning out everything. A hand was on his head, and the next thing he knew it was being pushed down between his knees.

He stayed in that position until the feeling of panic edged away, and he could finally breathe again. _In. Out. Inhale. Exhale._ He thought, trying to give himself back control. A few minutes passed, and he looked up when he felt better. “Are you okay?” Will asked at the edge of the hospital bed. He looked like a hummingbird, Nick thought, in the way that he fluttered about anxiously, but not getting too close to him.

“Yeah,” he leaned back against the headrest. “I don't know what happened.”

“It looked like a panic attack. Have you ever had one before?”

“Not that I can remember.” Nico noticed the windows and realized with shock that it was no longer day. The sun had long since faded away and left behind the clear night sky, stars twinkling down at him. “How long have I been out for?”

Will looked at his watch and counted his fingers before settling with, “Hours. I was gonna wake you up for lunch, but you're a pretty deep sleeper. Then you slept through dinner. But I brought you back food, so here we are.” He reached for a poorly wrapped sandwich, and offered it.

Nico stared at it. He wasn't hungry, and said as much. “You have to eat something.” Will insisted. The mere thought of food made his stomach churn unpleasantly. That conversation he had with Hades had curbed any appetite he should have had.

“I'm good, really. I'm just thirsty.” A water bottle was thrust into his hand, and he felt eyes on him while he drank from it.

“You woke up just in time for the game, actually,” Will remarked casually. Capture the flag, he remembered, and unwillingly, a bubble of excitement formed in his chest. “Is it starting soon?” Disinterest, despite his effort, was not the tone he used. Will nodded, “Do you want to go?”

He said yes quickly, and they were headed out. The sounds of clanging metal and the loud antics of the campers carried itself up the hill. There they were, right in front of the forest, with torches and jars full of fire to light the way. Nico could not help but run the last few steps to the buckets of helmets, armour, and weapons.

He dug out a black sword that was too long to be a knife and yet too short to be a sword. He held it in front of him, jabbing an imaginary monster. “Hold up,” Will sounded nervous behind him. “You need to put on armour and a helmet before you start swinging that thing around.” A brass chest plate was put on over his head, and his knees buckled a little under the weight.

There was a snort somewhere in front of him, and he recognized Percy in the low light of the torches. He approached Nico, and grabbed a helmet from the stash. He twirled it in his hands almost mockingly, and placed it on his head. The helmet tilted over and covered a good portion of his forehead and his eyesight. “Stay safe out there, okay?”

Immediately, he felt his mouth turn into a scowl and he didn't even bother to say anything back, instead turning away from him to face Will. He waited for the sound of his fading footsteps to drop the foul look on his face.

“What was up with that?”

“I don't like him.” He stated simply.

“Really? I couldn't tell.”

“Don't start,” he warned. His mood had dropped considerably low. That was so patronizing, what Percy had done. Irritation and annoyance coursed through him.

“Hey,” Will pushed back his helmet so that he could see him better. “Chin up. It's about to start.” He pointed.

In the center of the demigods and Hunters stood Chiron, towering over everyone by at least three feet. He raised a horn to his mouth and it blew loud over all the words coming from the teams. A rush of adrenaline came to him.

The game had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear Percy isn't being mean, Nico just really hates him and y'all know that when you hate someone even the way they breath makes you wanna hop on they ass.

**Author's Note:**

> As mentioned in the summary, soulmate au where whenever you die you go to your soulmate. So! If you liked it and wanna see more, feel free to leave kudos or a comment! Thanks for reading! ❤❤❤


End file.
